Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in George Town: $956 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$956

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in George Town and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in George Town and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $956 in George Town versus $1,207 in Phuket.

George Town $956
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in George Town versus $2,037 in Phuket.

George Town $1,599
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,243 in George Town versus $2,867 in Phuket.

George Town $2,243
Phuket $2,867

Living in George Town costs roughly 21% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: George Town 29% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 MYR 13.92

$4.58 ฿153

-25.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.33 MYR 62.5

$32.48 ฿1,086

-52.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 MYR 18.58

$8.55 ฿286

-46.78%

Cappuccino

$2.61 MYR 10.66

$2.72 ฿91.0

-4.04%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MYR 3.16

$0.94 ฿31.25

-17.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MYR 1.43

$0.49 ฿16.39

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 MYR 9.88

$2.59 ฿86.6

-6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.21

$3.83 ฿128

16.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.56

$1.74 ฿58.1

6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.43 ฿47.82

-26.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.85

$1.53 ฿51.0

9.80%

Eggs

$2.21 MYR 9.03

$2.17 ฿72.7

1.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 MYR 55.7

$19.15 ฿640

-28.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$3.30 ฿110

36.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.49 MYR 34.62

$11.14 ฿372

-23.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MYR 9.89

$2.95 ฿98.5

-17.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$1.68 ฿56.1

-14.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MYR 9.12

$2.30 ฿76.8

-3.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$2.13 ฿71.3

-44.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 MYR 3.77

$1.53 ฿51.1

-39.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MYR 3.45

$1.36 ฿45.55

-37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$1.12 ฿37.44

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$0.55 ฿18.24

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MYR 18.03

$4.26 ฿142

3.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 MYR 76.5

$18.19 ฿608

3.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 MYR 9.89

$1.74 ฿58.2

39.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.65

$2.79 ฿93.3

28.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.91

$2.22 ฿74.1

-78.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.84 MYR 44.24

$22.06 ฿737

-50.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.08

$2.91 ฿97.3

-57.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$1.01 ฿33.79

-49.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 MYR 28.03

$3.83 ฿128

79.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 MYR 3.43

$1.49 ฿49.85

-43.62%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

58.63%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.7K MYR 117.0K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

7.40%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$36.87 MYR 150

$99.4 ฿3,321

-62.90%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.21 MYR 33.51

$11.28 ฿377

-27.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.51 MYR 116

$17.36 ฿580

64.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 MYR 164

$52.3 ฿1,747

-23.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.04 MYR 20.55

$10.85 ฿362

-53.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MYR 19.43

$7.57 ฿253

-37.12%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$173 MYR 705

$558 ฿18.7K

-69.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,848 MYR 19.8K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-57.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 MYR 216

$62.9 ฿2,102

-15.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.45 MYR 141

$28.58 ฿955

20.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 MYR 304

$96.1 ฿3,213

-22.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 285

$88.1 ฿2,943

-20.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MYR 2,059

$729 ฿24.4K

-30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MYR 1,524

$460 ฿15.4K

-18.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 MYR 3,804

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-55.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 MYR 4,046

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-18.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,094 MYR 4,462

$493 ฿16.5K

121.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

5.57

-27.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for George Town: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

George Town

$374 39.1%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 23.1% $86

Groceries & Markets

George Town

$240 25.1%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 11.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

George Town

$104 10.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 18.9% $20

Eating Out

George Town

$98 10.2%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 24% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

George Town

$74 7.7%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 74% $54

Sport & Entertainment

George Town

$50 5.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 35.6% $18

Getting Around

George Town

$17 1.7%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 135% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in George Town and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 122% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15.00 in George Town vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $268 per month, with George Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 George Town

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

03:00 3:00 AM

1 h behind George Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

794,313

79,308

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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George Town Phuket 350 km

From you

George Town
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

George Town vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George Town is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 122% higher in George Town, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $505 in George Town versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George Town runs roughly 104% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $173 in George Town versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $956 in George Town versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George Town but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes George Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George Town is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, George Town and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find George Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.