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: $863 in Kedah versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,326 in Kedah versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,790 in Kedah versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Kedah costs roughly 32% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kedah 35% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 MYR 12.17

$4.48 ฿150

-33.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.22 MYR 86.7

$45.59 ฿1,522

-53.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.13 MYR 16.85

$8.76 ฿292

-52.85%

Cappuccino

$2.83 MYR 11.55

$2.97 ฿99.1

-4.71%

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

$0.68 MYR 2.77

$0.69 ฿22.92

-1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 MYR 1.38

$0.39 ฿13.05

-12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 MYR 18.12

$2.53 ฿84.5

75.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MYR 18.42

$3.75 ฿125

20.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.65

$2.15 ฿71.6

-13.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 MYR 3.90

$1.82 ฿60.6

-47.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.92

$2.18 ฿73.0

-44.95%

Eggs

$2.12 MYR 8.66

$2.25 ฿75.1

-5.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.11 MYR 61.7

$20.00 ฿668

-24.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 MYR 21.15

$3.63 ฿121

42.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 MYR 59.9

$13.56 ฿453

8.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.90

$3.24 ฿108

-10.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.88

$1.64 ฿54.6

-27.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MYR 11.00

$2.33 ฿77.9

15.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MYR 8.55

$2.07 ฿69.2

0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$1.55 ฿51.7

-27.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$1.46 ฿48.58

-19.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MYR 3.88

$0.98 ฿32.88

-3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$0.48 ฿16.11

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MYR 17.26

$4.35 ฿145

-2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.23 MYR 86.7

$18.57 ฿620

14.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.77

$1.86 ฿62.0

41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 MYR 13.94

$2.65 ฿88.7

28.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.78

$1.42 ฿47.32

-52.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.81 MYR 48.24

$11.57 ฿386

2.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$3.17 ฿106

-77.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.06

$1.03 ฿34.45

-51.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 MYR 28.15

$13.89 ฿464

-50.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$1.34 ฿44.88

-62.69%

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

$33.7K MYR 137.6K

$27.8K ฿927.9K

21.23%

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

$27.9K MYR 114.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-16.35%

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

$39.27 MYR 160

$123 ฿4,109

-68.09%

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

$10.03 MYR 40.95

$13.77 ฿460

-27.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.86 MYR 48.45

$18.33 ฿612

-35.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.69 MYR 150

$60.7 ฿2,026

-39.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 MYR 23.71

$17.16 ฿573

-66.14%

Cinema Ticket

$2.80 MYR 11.44

$8.87 ฿296

-68.43%

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

$235 MYR 961

$688 ฿23.0K

-65.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,259 MYR 25.6K

$15.8K ฿526.9K

-60.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MYR 226

$59.3 ฿1,980

-6.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.00 MYR 118

$34.69 ฿1,158

-16.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.2 MYR 254

$115 ฿3,846

-46.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.2 MYR 213

$83.8 ฿2,797

-37.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MYR 1,575

$621 ฿20.7K

-37.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MYR 1,084

$446 ฿14.9K

-40.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 MYR 2,580

$2,034 ฿67.9K

-68.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MYR 1,899

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-68.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,134 MYR 8,714

$3,455 ฿115.4K

-38.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,171 MYR 4,781

$2,531 ฿84.5K

-53.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,310 MYR 5,350

$494 ฿16.5K

165.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

5.33

-21.95%

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

Last update for Kedah: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $386 in Kedah and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 165% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Kedah vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $291 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 47% in total monthly costs ($863 vs $1,264 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 165% 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: $386 in Kedah versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $235 in Kedah versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $863 in Kedah versus $1,264 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 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.