Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malacca and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Malacca: $609 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Malacca
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Malacca Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Malacca

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$609

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $609 per month in Malacca vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Malacca $609
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $970 per month in Malacca vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Malacca $970
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,330 per month in Malacca vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Malacca $1,330
Phuket $3,154

Malacca is about 52% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Malacca and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Malacca 55% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 MYR 13.12

$4.47 ฿151

-27.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.02 MYR 73.1

$32.41 ฿1,093

-44.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 MYR 19.47

$8.81 ฿297

-45.52%

Cappuccino

$2.89 MYR 11.73

$2.83 ฿95.4

2.12%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.19

$0.87 ฿29.41

-9.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.21

$0.49 ฿16.65

12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 MYR 7.83

$2.56 ฿86.3

-24.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 MYR 11.78

$3.68 ฿124

-21.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MYR 6.75

$1.66 ฿55.9

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.27

$1.46 ฿49.31

-28.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 5.99

$1.50 ฿50.5

-1.33%

Eggs

$1.68 MYR 6.81

$2.09 ฿70.5

-19.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.08 MYR 73.3

$19.07 ฿643

-5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 MYR 18.80

$3.30 ฿111

40.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 MYR 42.79

$10.91 ฿368

-3.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MYR 13.37

$2.93 ฿98.9

12.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.82

$1.69 ฿57.0

-0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 MYR 9.69

$2.25 ฿75.8

6.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.88

$2.08 ฿70.0

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.70

$1.51 ฿51.0

-6.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.73

$1.38 ฿46.52

20.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MYR 5.57

$1.07 ฿35.96

28.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.25

$0.52 ฿17.51

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MYR 16.98

$4.20 ฿142

-0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 MYR 57.6

$18.79 ฿634

-24.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 MYR 8.68

$1.82 ฿61.5

17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MYR 12.71

$2.84 ฿95.8

10.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 MYR 1.93

$1.45 ฿48.98

-66.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.40 MYR 50.3

$56.7 ฿1,912

-78.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.13

$3.02 ฿102

-66.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MYR 2.87

$1.02 ฿34.33

-30.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.09 MYR 49.05

$3.69 ฿125

227.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$1.47 ฿49.76

-65.31%

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

$44.4K MYR 180.3K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

65.96%

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

$36.0K MYR 146.0K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

34.79%

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

$52.4 MYR 213

$96.4 ฿3,251

-45.64%

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

$11.33 MYR 45.96

$11.26 ฿380

0.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.13 MYR 114

$16.85 ฿568

66.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.87 MYR 88.7

$67.2 ฿2,268

-67.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.78 MYR 47.78

$10.73 ฿362

9.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 19.96

$7.50 ฿253

-34.40%

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

$237 MYR 961

$476 ฿16.1K

-50.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,388 MYR 17.8K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-61.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 MYR 220

$62.4 ฿2,104

-13.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.83 MYR 68.3

$28.41 ฿958

-40.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MYR 332

$94.3 ฿3,181

-13.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 MYR 392

$85.8 ฿2,895

12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 MYR 783

$716 ฿24.2K

-73.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,179 MYR 4,783

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-71.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$794 MYR 3,220

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-73.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 MYR 1,687

$502 ฿16.9K

-17.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.57

-27.11%

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

Last update for Malacca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malacca

$258 42.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 3% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Malacca

$112 18.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 8.5% $9.6

Eating Out

Malacca

$96 15.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 27.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malacca

$92 15.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 35.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Malacca

$32 5.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 159% $51

Getting Around

Malacca

$19 3.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 274% $52

Accommodation & Living

Malacca

- * 0%

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $193 in Malacca 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.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Malacca versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $266 – making Malacca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Malacca

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

09:22 9:22 AM

1 h behind Malacca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malacca Phuket 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Malacca
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

Malacca vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $609 in Malacca, $1,278 in Phuket – Malacca comes out roughly 52% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $913 per month in Malacca 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 Malacca, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $193 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Malacca and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $609 in Malacca and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Malacca about 52% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Malacca, where all-in costs run around $609, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Malacca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $609 in Malacca to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

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