Cost of Living Comparison Between Muar and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Muar and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Muar versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,544 in Muar versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,076 in Muar versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Muar costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Muar 26% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.86 MYR 19.89

$4.41 ฿147

10.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.96 MYR 123

$32.26 ฿1,073

-7.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.03 MYR 16.50

$8.93 ฿297

-54.87%

Cappuccino

$3.17 MYR 12.96

$2.90 ฿96.3

9.31%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.27

$0.88 ฿29.27

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.94

$0.48 ฿16.00

-2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 MYR 18.52

$2.35 ฿78.2

92.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 MYR 25.85

$3.72 ฿124

69.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 MYR 8.64

$1.87 ฿62.0

12.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MYR 4.52

$1.47 ฿48.75

-25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 MYR 8.62

$1.55 ฿51.6

36.13%

Eggs

$2.49 MYR 10.20

$2.10 ฿69.9

18.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.92 MYR 65.2

$19.59 ฿651

-18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 MYR 19.93

$3.42 ฿114

42.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 MYR 39.28

$11.38 ฿378

-15.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 MYR 14.20

$2.98 ฿99.2

16.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.60

$1.68 ฿56.0

10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 MYR 9.81

$2.21 ฿73.5

8.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.72

$2.16 ฿71.9

-24.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.32

$1.52 ฿50.7

-14.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.69

$1.34 ฿44.49

3.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.78

$1.13 ฿37.53

3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$0.55 ฿18.17

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 MYR 18.16

$4.26 ฿142

4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 MYR 77.4

$19.09 ฿635

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 MYR 14.07

$1.78 ฿59.2

93.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 MYR 19.80

$2.78 ฿92.5

74.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.79

$2.23 ฿74.1

-69.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.41 MYR 50.8

$22.74 ฿756

-45.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 MYR 5.15

$3.03 ฿101

-58.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$1.02 ฿34.02

-52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MYR 20.04

$3.89 ฿129

25.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.36

$1.49 ฿49.57

-44.97%

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

$42.7K MYR 174.9K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

60.79%

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

$34.8K MYR 142.6K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

28.93%

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

$63.5 MYR 260

$102 ฿3,407

-38.02%

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

$9.12 MYR 37.35

$11.33 ฿377

-19.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.12 MYR 107

$17.40 ฿578

50.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.45 MYR 166

$52.1 ฿1,732

-22.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.33 MYR 29.99

$11.07 ฿368

-33.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.35 MYR 21.91

$7.69 ฿256

-30.43%

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

$306 MYR 1,252

$561 ฿18.6K

-45.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,880 MYR 20.0K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-57.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 MYR 289

$63.0 ฿2,096

12.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MYR 172

$29.52 ฿982

42.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 MYR 364

$98.0 ฿3,259

-9.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 MYR 410

$88.5 ฿2,943

13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 MYR 1,507

$738 ฿24.5K

-50.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,422

$482 ฿16.0K

-27.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 MYR 2,517

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-70.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 MYR 1,767

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-64.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,970 MYR 8,064

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-45.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,132 MYR 4,635

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-56.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 MYR 2,548

$494 ฿16.4K

26.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

5.57

-24.60%

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

Last update for Muar: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $368 in Muar and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muar pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Muar vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $282 vs $274, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Muar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muar and Phuket differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,012 vs $1,232 including rent). Muar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Muar, 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: $368 in Muar versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Muar runs roughly 83% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Muar versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,012 in Muar versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Muar 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, Muar 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 Muar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.