Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ipoh and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Ipoh: $922 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Ipoh
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Ipoh Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Ipoh

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$922

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ipoh 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 Ipoh and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $922 per month in Ipoh vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Ipoh $922
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,372 per month in Ipoh vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Ipoh $1,372
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,821 per month in Ipoh vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Ipoh $1,821
Phuket $2,867

Ipoh is about 24% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ipoh and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Ipoh 32% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.26 MYR 13.29

$4.58 ฿153

-28.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.29 MYR 78.7

$32.48 ฿1,086

-40.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$8.55 ฿286

-47.25%

Cappuccino

$2.80 MYR 11.41

$2.72 ฿91.0

2.94%

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

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.94 ฿31.25

-25.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.81

$0.49 ฿16.39

-10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.34 MYR 17.70

$2.59 ฿86.6

67.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.42

$3.83 ฿128

18.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 MYR 8.05

$1.74 ฿58.1

13.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.29

$1.43 ฿47.82

-26.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.56

$1.53 ฿51.0

-11.11%

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)

$4.56 MYR 18.62

$3.30 ฿110

38.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.64 MYR 31.16

$11.14 ฿372

-31.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MYR 12.27

$2.95 ฿98.5

2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.21

$1.68 ฿56.1

5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MYR 9.05

$2.30 ฿76.8

-3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.34

$2.13 ฿71.3

-26.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.22

$1.53 ฿51.1

-16.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.48

$1.36 ฿45.55

-1.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.62

$1.12 ฿37.44

0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$0.55 ฿18.24

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

$4.26 ฿142

1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.98 MYR 69.3

$18.19 ฿608

-6.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 MYR 14.22

$1.74 ฿58.2

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 MYR 18.64

$2.79 ฿93.3

63.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MYR 2.54

$2.22 ฿74.1

-72.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.56 MYR 47.14

$22.06 ฿737

-47.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.07

$2.91 ฿97.3

-57.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MYR 5.04

$1.01 ฿33.79

21.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 MYR 20.56

$3.83 ฿128

31.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$1.49 ฿49.85

-65.10%

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

$41.3K MYR 168.7K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

54.96%

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

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

29.76%

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

$61.9 MYR 253

$99.4 ฿3,321

-37.67%

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

$8.92 MYR 36.37

$11.28 ฿377

-20.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.24 MYR 107

$17.36 ฿580

51.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.16 MYR 164

$52.3 ฿1,747

-23.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 MYR 28.26

$10.85 ฿362

-36.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.33 MYR 13.59

$7.57 ฿253

-56.01%

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

$305 MYR 1,242

$558 ฿18.7K

-45.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MYR 54.2K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

15.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 MYR 251

$62.9 ฿2,102

-2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.00 MYR 147

$28.58 ฿955

25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 MYR 252

$96.1 ฿3,213

-35.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 MYR 253

$88.1 ฿2,943

-29.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 MYR 1,635

$729 ฿24.4K

-45.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 MYR 1,217

$460 ฿15.4K

-35.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 MYR 2,770

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-67.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MYR 2,001

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-59.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,059 MYR 8,400

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-40.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 MYR 4,458

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-56.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$973 MYR 3,968

$493 ฿16.5K

97.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

5.57

-28.37%

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

Last update for Ipoh: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ipoh

$298 32.4%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 54.2% $162

Groceries & Markets

Ipoh

$250 27.2%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 6.8% $17

Eating Out

Ipoh

$108 11.8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 11.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Ipoh

$100 10.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 24.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ipoh

$97 10.5%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 31.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ipoh

$47 5.1%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 44% $21

Getting Around

Ipoh

$21 2.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 81.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $401 in Ipoh versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 97% higher in Ipoh, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Ipoh versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $268 – making Ipoh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Ipoh

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

22:21 10:21 PM

1 h behind Ipoh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

759,952

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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

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Ipoh Phuket 470 km

From you

Ipoh
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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

Ipoh vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 31% more than Ipoh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Ipoh and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ipoh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 91% less in Ipoh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $305 per month in Ipoh and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ipoh, where all-in costs run around $922, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Ipoh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ipoh costs $922 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ipoh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.