Urban Squeeze: Facing Cost-of-Living Challenges as Johor Civil Servants in Malaysia

This study examines the multifaceted challenges posed by the rising cost-of-living among civil servants in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, a city characterized by rapid urbanization and strong cross-border economic influences. The primary objective is to explore how escalating expenses, within the context of fixed public sector salaries, affect civil servants’ financial stability, social relationships, and psychological well-being. A qualitative approach and case study design were employed, utilizing semi-structured, in-depth interviews with six informants from diverse administrative backgrounds. Thematic analysis revealed four critical dimensions of challenges. First, economic challenges are manifested through rising food, utility, and travel costs, as well as the reliance on dual-income households. Second, political or governance challenges are pronounced in the manner of impracticality of government-assisted programs, middle-class marginalization in welfare distribution, and housing inaccessibility. Third, social challenges include reduced social activities and lifestyle changes. Finally, stress is found to be the vital psychological challenge faced by the informants. These findings extend the application of Relative Deprivation Theory by showing how middle-income civil servants, though not the poorest, experience heightened frustration due to exclusion from state assistance. Likewise, the Family Stress Model is reinforced as prolonged financial pressures manifest in strained family relationships and deteriorating well-being, highlighting the psychosocial costs of structural inflation. The study contributes to academic discourse and policy formulation by highlighting the lived realities of civil servants in high-cost urban environments. It further recommends targeted interventions such as inflation-adjusted allowances, housing subsidies, and structured support mechanisms, while suggesting that future research adopt quantitative approaches with larger samples to strengthen generalizability and policy relevance.