Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lipis and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lipis: $897 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lipis
Learn more

Kuala Lipis Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $897 per month in Kuala Lipis vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Kuala Lipis $897
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,420 per month in Kuala Lipis vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Kuala Lipis $1,420
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Kuala Lipis vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Kuala Lipis $1,944
Phuket $3,154

Kuala Lipis is about 30% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kuala Lipis and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Kuala Lipis 34% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 MYR 14.62

$4.47 ฿151

-19.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.70 MYR 101

$32.41 ฿1,094

-23.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 MYR 20.31

$8.81 ฿297

-43.47%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.20

$2.83 ฿95.5

5.65%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.48

$0.87 ฿29.43

-2.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.70

$0.49 ฿16.67

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MYR 13.06

$2.56 ฿86.4

25.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 MYR 22.94

$3.68 ฿124

52.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 MYR 7.96

$1.66 ฿56.0

17.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.38

$1.46 ฿49.35

-26.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$1.50 ฿50.6

-2.00%

Eggs

$1.78 MYR 7.24

$2.09 ฿70.5

-14.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MYR 39.99

$19.07 ฿644

-48.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.92

$3.30 ฿111

-3.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 MYR 39.01

$10.91 ฿368

-12.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$2.93 ฿99.0

22.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 MYR 7.54

$1.69 ฿57.1

9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.22

$2.25 ฿75.8

22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.46

$2.08 ฿70.1

-12.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MYR 8.80

$1.51 ฿51.0

43.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 MYR 8.36

$1.38 ฿46.56

48.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MYR 6.06

$1.07 ฿35.99

39.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$0.52 ฿17.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.17

$4.20 ฿142

6.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.69 MYR 80.2

$18.79 ฿634

4.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MYR 11.04

$1.82 ฿61.5

48.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.08

$2.84 ฿95.9

56.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MYR 2.67

$1.45 ฿49.03

-54.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.50 MYR 55.0

$56.7 ฿1,913

-76.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$3.02 ฿102

-60.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$1.02 ฿34.36

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.79 MYR 35.81

$3.69 ฿125

138.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$1.47 ฿49.81

-44.90%

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

$44.9K MYR 183.1K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

67.83%

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

$34.8K MYR 142.0K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

30.56%

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

$49.77 MYR 203

$96.4 ฿3,254

-48.34%

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

$8.30 MYR 33.81

$11.26 ฿380

-26.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.35 MYR 111

$16.85 ฿569

62.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.93 MYR 167

$67.2 ฿2,270

-39.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.48 MYR 30.46

$10.73 ฿362

-30.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 MYR 19.88

$7.50 ฿253

-34.93%

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

$276 MYR 1,125

$476 ฿16.1K

-42.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K MYR 42.0K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-8.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MYR 210

$62.4 ฿2,106

-17.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.76 MYR 121

$28.41 ฿959

4.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 MYR 317

$94.3 ฿3,184

-17.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 MYR 354

$85.8 ฿2,898

1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 MYR 1,571

$716 ฿24.2K

-46.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MYR 1,092

$491 ฿16.6K

-45.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MYR 2,824

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-64.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 MYR 2,272

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-61.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,178 MYR 8,872

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-47.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,305 MYR 5,315

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-57.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.57

-19.03%

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

Last update for Kuala Lipis: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lipis

$268 29.9%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 83.2% $223

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lipis

$251 28%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 6% $15

Eating Out

Kuala Lipis

$112 12.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 8.7% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lipis

$111 12.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 10.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lipis

$85 9.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 45.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lipis

$51 5.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 62.2% $32

Getting Around

Kuala Lipis

$19 2.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 269% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $385 in Kuala Lipis versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Kuala Lipis versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $266 – making Kuala Lipis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lipis

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

03:36 3:36 AM

1 h behind Kuala Lipis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lipis Phuket 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lipis
Phuket

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

Kuala Lipis vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,345 per month in Kuala Lipis and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lipis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $385 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $897 in Kuala Lipis and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Kuala Lipis about 30% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 76% less in Kuala Lipis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lipis, where all-in costs run around $897, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Kuala Lipis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lipis – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Kuala Lipis is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.