Childcare costs were crippling us so we quit Harrogate for Kuala Lumpur where our life costs 148% less than the UK

A MUM claims soaring childcare costs ‘crippled’ her family and pushed them to quit the UK for Malaysia – claiming it’s cheaper and a ‘much better way of life’. Phoebe Wilson and her husband made the big move from North Yorkshire to Kuala Lumpur with their four children, aged five, six, 15 and 18, on July 24. Phoebe Wilson ditched the UK to move to Malaysia with her husband and four kids Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media Phoebe claims the move has given her a much better quality of life than ‘miserable’ UK Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media The 40-year-old claimed the cost of living was ‘difficult’ but the £2,700-a-month childcare for her two youngest pushed her and husband ‘over the edge’. The couple packed their things and quit the ‘miserable’ and expensive UK for Malaysia’s last month, claiming their lives are cheaper and more ‘free’. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! Phoebe says childcare has been slashed to £400 a month, a whopping 148 per cent less than back in the UK, and content creator Phoebe says their work-life balance is ‘amazing’. The family still pay £800-a-month on accommodation, but instead of the same amount on a mortgage for a three-bedroom terraced house in Harrogate it’s now for a larger gated community condo with a pool and gym. Rising childcare costs prompted the family to make the move across the world Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media They pay £800-a-month for a condo in Malaysia that includes access to a pool and a gym Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media The content creator also claims food bills are much cheaper, shrinking from £200 to £40 a week, while meals out cost around £1.40 per person. Phoebe, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, said: “The price of living in the UK was just very difficult for us. “Childcare is what pushed us over the edge, we were crippled by childcare. “We were paying £2,700 for two children a month, here you can get it for around £400 a month. Most read in Fabulous “We relied on British childcare as we lost some grandparents and it was really expensive. “We lived in a lovely part of the UK with lots of greenery but the cost was extortionate. “After paying for childcare, food, just living your basic life, there was no time to enjoy these other things. We are much more free over here. “He [my husband] is earning the same money in Malaysia and the cost of living is so much cheaper. “You can get amazing food here for £1.40, big meals, it’s actually cheaper to eat out. “We were paying around £220 a week [on food] in the UK, we did a food shop [here] and it cost £40.” Phoebe, pictured in Malaysia, says childcare costs are 148 per cent less than back in the UK Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media The family’s terraced house in Harrogate, where they used to spend £220 a week on food Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media It’s not just their finances that have improved, according to Phoebe but also their quality of life. Phoebe said: “The UK is quite miserable compared to here, we wanted to visit all these wonderful places but couldn’t afford it as a family of six. “We hadn’t been [to Kuala Lumpur] before but I had been to lots of different places in South East Asia and I really loved it. “We were worried for the kids because it’s a bit of upheaval for them. “It’s been a rollercoaster trying to figure out if this was going to be a good move – they were quite settled in their school. “They’ve slotted in straight away here, they really enjoy it. “I thought the heat might be an issue but they absolutely love it and got on with it straight away. “We’ve been here two weeks and we haven’t even figured out how to turn the TV on yet. The work-life balance is amazing. “There are a lot more holidays in the year, time to travel and do things. Everything is so much cheaper, so we have so much more disposable income. “The weather is good all year round too.” Content creator Phoebe, pictured with her husband, says their work-life balance is ‘amazing’ in Malaysia Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media Phoebe can unwind in the pool located at their accommodation Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media Despite there being challenges to moving abroad, Phoebe said the family is now happier and financially better off. Phoebe said: “It was a really difficult transition, it was hard to say goodbye and move our whole lives to the other side of the world. “It was definitely worth it. It’s crazy that more people aren’t doing it because it’s such a better way of life. “You’ve got to think outside the box and think about what is best for you and your family. I want my kids to be world thinkers and spend more time outside. “My older kids had a great childhood but spent a lot of time indoors on Xbox or PlayStation. “It’s a whole other way to do life. It’s just amazing, we can’t even believe this is our real life.” Phoebe and her husband with their kids, who are aged five, six, 15, and 18 Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media The view from the family’s new condo in Malaysia Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media Comment now