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: $1,000 in Muar versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Muar versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,016 in Muar versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Muar costs roughly 21% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Muar 25% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.65 MYR 10.81

$4.48 ฿150

-40.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.99 MYR 98.0

$45.59 ฿1,521

-47.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.23 MYR 13.18

$8.76 ฿292

-63.13%

Cappuccino

$2.32 MYR 9.47

$2.97 ฿99.0

-21.89%

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

$0.74 MYR 3.00

$0.69 ฿22.90

7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.48

$0.39 ฿13.04

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$2.53 ฿84.4

69.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 MYR 22.01

$3.75 ฿125

43.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.54

$2.15 ฿71.6

-13.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.40

$1.82 ฿60.6

-40.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.06

$2.18 ฿72.9

-32.11%

Eggs

$1.89 MYR 7.73

$2.25 ฿75.0

-16.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.49 MYR 91.8

$20.00 ฿667

12.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 MYR 20.31

$3.63 ฿121

36.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 MYR 43.55

$13.56 ฿452

-21.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 MYR 15.95

$3.24 ฿108

20.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$1.64 ฿54.6

5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 MYR 13.51

$2.33 ฿77.8

42.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 MYR 10.36

$2.07 ฿69.1

22.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.95

$1.55 ฿51.6

9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MYR 4.06

$1.46 ฿48.54

-31.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$0.98 ฿32.86

10.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.12

$0.48 ฿16.09

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MYR 16.94

$4.35 ฿145

-4.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 MYR 75.8

$18.57 ฿620

-0.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.33 MYR 17.70

$1.86 ฿61.9

132.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 MYR 22.16

$2.65 ฿88.6

104.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$1.42 ฿47.28

-47.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.87 MYR 48.48

$11.57 ฿386

2.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MYR 4.74

$3.17 ฿106

-63.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$1.03 ฿34.41

5.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 MYR 17.91

$13.89 ฿463

-68.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$1.34 ฿44.84

-62.69%

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

$44.3K MYR 180.9K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

59.43%

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

$31.4K MYR 128.3K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-5.86%

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

$74.5 MYR 304

$123 ฿4,105

-39.47%

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

$9.92 MYR 40.49

$13.77 ฿459

-27.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.49 MYR 116

$18.33 ฿611

55.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 MYR 151

$60.7 ฿2,025

-38.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.93 MYR 24.22

$17.16 ฿573

-65.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 MYR 23.01

$8.87 ฿296

-36.41%

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

$116 MYR 476

$688 ฿22.9K

-83.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,285 MYR 17.5K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-72.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 MYR 444

$59.3 ฿1,978

83.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.51 MYR 112

$34.69 ฿1,157

-20.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 MYR 312

$115 ฿3,843

-33.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MYR 324

$83.8 ฿2,794

-5.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 MYR 1,590

$621 ฿20.7K

-37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 MYR 1,110

$446 ฿14.9K

-39.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 MYR 2,637

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-68.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 MYR 1,906

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-68.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,950 MYR 7,963

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-43.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,129 MYR 4,609

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-55.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$608 MYR 2,483

$494 ฿16.5K

23.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

5.33

-25.70%

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

Last update for Muar: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $389 in Muar and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muar pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Muar vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $291, 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,000 vs $1,264 including rent). Muar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $389 in Muar versus $621 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 3% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $116 in Muar versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,000 in Muar versus $1,264 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 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.