Cost of Living Comparison Between Kedah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kedah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $944 in Kedah versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Kedah versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,853 in Kedah versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Kedah costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kedah 31% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 MYR 14.38

$4.41 ฿147

-20.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.36 MYR 50.6

$32.26 ฿1,073

-61.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 MYR 20.58

$8.93 ฿297

-43.67%

Cappuccino

$2.66 MYR 10.91

$2.90 ฿96.3

-8.28%

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

$0.91 MYR 3.74

$0.88 ฿29.27

3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.34

$0.48 ฿16.00

-31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MYR 9.87

$2.35 ฿78.2

2.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 MYR 17.56

$3.72 ฿124

15.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 MYR 9.95

$1.87 ฿62.0

29.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 MYR 5.57

$1.47 ฿48.75

-7.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.20

$1.55 ฿51.6

13.55%

Eggs

$2.62 MYR 10.71

$2.10 ฿69.9

24.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.65 MYR 64.0

$19.59 ฿651

-20.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 MYR 20.07

$3.42 ฿114

43.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 MYR 39.14

$11.38 ฿378

-15.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 MYR 9.65

$2.98 ฿99.2

-20.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.92

$1.68 ฿56.0

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 MYR 9.32

$2.21 ฿73.5

3.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.13

$2.16 ฿71.9

-42.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 MYR 3.74

$1.52 ฿50.7

-40.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$1.34 ฿44.49

-41.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 MYR 3.17

$1.13 ฿37.53

-31.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MYR 2.66

$0.55 ฿18.17

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.66 MYR 19.08

$4.26 ฿142

9.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.25 MYR 87.0

$19.09 ฿635

11.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 MYR 10.18

$1.78 ฿59.2

39.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MYR 14.85

$2.78 ฿92.5

30.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$2.23 ฿74.1

-66.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.77 MYR 48.18

$22.74 ฿756

-48.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 MYR 4.99

$3.03 ฿101

-59.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.06

$1.02 ฿34.02

-50.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 MYR 27.19

$3.89 ฿129

70.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 MYR 2.45

$1.49 ฿49.57

-59.73%

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

$41.8K MYR 171.1K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

57.29%

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

$28.8K MYR 117.7K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

6.39%

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

$50.7 MYR 207

$102 ฿3,407

-50.57%

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

$7.98 MYR 32.64

$11.33 ฿377

-29.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.15 MYR 132

$17.40 ฿578

84.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.87 MYR 163

$52.1 ฿1,732

-23.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.78 MYR 23.67

$11.07 ฿368

-47.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.69

$7.69 ฿256

-37.45%

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

$171 MYR 698

$561 ฿18.6K

-69.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,987 MYR 20.4K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-56.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MYR 223

$63.0 ฿2,096

-13.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.20 MYR 144

$29.52 ฿982

19.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 MYR 296

$98.0 ฿3,259

-26.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 MYR 284

$88.5 ฿2,943

-21.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 MYR 1,701

$738 ฿24.5K

-43.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 MYR 1,311

$482 ฿16.0K

-33.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MYR 2,837

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-67.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 MYR 1,847

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-63.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,745 MYR 7,141

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-51.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 MYR 4,117

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-61.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 MYR 5,440

$494 ฿16.4K

169.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

5.57

-20.47%

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

Last update for Kedah: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Kedah and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 169% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Kedah vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $274 per month, with Kedah cheaper across the board.

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

Kedah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kedah and Phuket differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($944 vs $1,232 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 169% higher in Kedah, 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: $416 in Kedah versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $171 in Kedah versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $944 in Kedah versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kedah 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 Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.