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: $868 in Kedah versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,344 in Kedah versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,819 in Kedah versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Kedah costs roughly 31% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kedah 35% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 MYR 12.24

$4.56 ฿149

-33.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.42 MYR 86.9

$46.63 ฿1,519

-54.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 MYR 17.34

$8.47 ฿276

-49.47%

Cappuccino

$2.95 MYR 11.95

$3.03 ฿98.6

-2.64%

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

$0.74 MYR 3.02

$0.69 ฿22.45

7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.48

$0.37 ฿11.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.40 MYR 17.83

$2.49 ฿81.0

76.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.18

$3.66 ฿119

22.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MYR 7.34

$2.18 ฿71.0

-16.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 MYR 3.67

$1.90 ฿62.0

-52.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.91

$2.20 ฿71.6

-45.00%

Eggs

$2.11 MYR 8.58

$2.22 ฿72.4

-4.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 MYR 62.2

$19.99 ฿651

-23.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 MYR 20.26

$3.66 ฿119

36.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 MYR 59.5

$13.25 ฿432

10.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 MYR 11.69

$3.23 ฿105

-10.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.83

$1.70 ฿55.3

-30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.59

$2.39 ฿78.0

9.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MYR 8.81

$2.08 ฿67.7

4.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.83

$1.59 ฿51.8

-25.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.71

$1.48 ฿48.31

-21.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 MYR 3.92

$1.03 ฿33.54

-5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$0.52 ฿16.83

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MYR 16.75

$4.25 ฿138

-2.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.59 MYR 79.5

$18.79 ฿612

4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.69

$1.76 ฿57.2

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 MYR 13.66

$2.76 ฿89.8

22.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.77

$1.36 ฿44.32

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.77 MYR 47.71

$11.36 ฿370

3.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 MYR 2.82

$3.14 ฿102

-78.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$1.04 ฿33.74

-54.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 MYR 28.32

$13.77 ฿448

-49.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.00

$1.34 ฿43.79

-63.43%

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

$33.5K MYR 135.8K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

20.97%

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

$27.4K MYR 110.9K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-19.21%

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

$38.49 MYR 156

$124 ฿4,025

-68.86%

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

$9.99 MYR 40.49

$13.52 ฿440

-26.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.96 MYR 48.51

$18.69 ฿609

-36.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.49 MYR 148

$61.8 ฿2,013

-40.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.85 MYR 23.74

$17.25 ฿562

-66.09%

Cinema Ticket

$2.81 MYR 11.40

$9.14 ฿298

-69.26%

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

$238 MYR 963

$703 ฿22.9K

-66.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,215 MYR 25.2K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-60.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MYR 225

$59.5 ฿1,937

-6.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.32 MYR 115

$35.07 ฿1,142

-19.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 MYR 251

$115 ฿3,754

-46.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.5 MYR 213

$84.1 ฿2,737

-37.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 MYR 1,540

$619 ฿20.1K

-38.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 MYR 1,093

$433 ฿14.1K

-37.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 MYR 2,620

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-68.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MYR 1,885

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-69.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,964 MYR 7,963

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-46.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$957 MYR 3,880

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-63.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,322 MYR 5,359

$507 ฿16.5K

160.68%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $380 in Kedah and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 161% 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 $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $293 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 45% in total monthly costs ($868 vs $1,261 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kedah pays 161% more on average, 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: $380 in Kedah versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Kedah versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $868 in Kedah versus $1,261 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 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.