Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muar and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Muar: $951 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Muar
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Muar Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Muar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $951 in Muar versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Muar $951
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,505 in Muar versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Muar $1,505
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,059 in Muar versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Muar $2,059
Phuket $3,154

Living in Muar costs roughly 26% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Muar 30% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.82 MYR 19.63

$4.47 ฿151

7.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.01 MYR 118

$32.41 ฿1,093

-10.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.88 MYR 15.79

$8.81 ฿297

-55.96%

Cappuccino

$3.05 MYR 12.41

$2.83 ฿95.4

7.77%

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

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$0.87 ฿29.40

-12.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.87

$0.49 ฿16.65

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 MYR 18.06

$2.56 ฿86.3

73.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 MYR 25.52

$3.68 ฿124

70.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 MYR 8.68

$1.66 ฿55.9

28.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.35

$1.46 ฿49.29

-26.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MYR 7.55

$1.50 ฿50.5

23.33%

Eggs

$2.44 MYR 9.92

$2.09 ฿70.5

16.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 MYR 58.0

$19.07 ฿643

-25.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 MYR 18.09

$3.30 ฿111

34.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.95 MYR 40.50

$10.91 ฿368

-8.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.69

$2.93 ฿98.8

14.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 MYR 7.51

$1.69 ฿57.0

9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.15

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.16

$2.08 ฿70.0

-27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.95

$1.51 ฿51.0

-19.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.57

$1.38 ฿46.51

-0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 MYR 4.72

$1.07 ฿35.95

8.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MYR 2.90

$0.52 ฿17.50

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 MYR 18.11

$4.20 ฿142

5.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.48 MYR 79.3

$18.79 ฿634

3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 MYR 14.18

$1.82 ฿61.4

91.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 MYR 20.33

$2.84 ฿95.8

75.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MYR 2.62

$1.45 ฿48.97

-55.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 MYR 43.24

$56.7 ฿1,911

-81.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.83

$3.02 ฿102

-60.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

$1.02 ฿34.32

22.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 MYR 19.84

$3.69 ฿124

31.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 MYR 3.30

$1.47 ฿49.75

-44.90%

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

$44.4K MYR 180.8K

$26.8K ฿903.2K

65.92%

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

$34.9K MYR 141.9K

$26.7K ฿900.3K

30.62%

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

$62.0 MYR 253

$96.4 ฿3,250

-35.62%

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

$8.88 MYR 36.16

$11.26 ฿380

-21.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 MYR 107

$16.85 ฿568

55.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.02 MYR 151

$67.2 ฿2,268

-44.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 MYR 23.55

$10.73 ฿362

-46.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 MYR 19.74

$7.50 ฿253

-35.33%

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

$240 MYR 976

$476 ฿16.1K

-49.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MYR 54.2K

$11.3K ฿379.9K

18.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MYR 294

$62.4 ฿2,103

15.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.83 MYR 170

$28.41 ฿958

47.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 MYR 343

$94.3 ฿3,180

-10.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 MYR 392

$85.8 ฿2,894

12.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 MYR 1,810

$716 ฿24.1K

-37.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 MYR 1,028

$491 ฿16.6K

-48.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 MYR 2,510

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-68.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 MYR 2,108

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-63.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,001 MYR 8,144

$4,175 ฿140.8K

-52.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,229 MYR 5,001

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-59.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 MYR 2,454

$502 ฿16.9K

20.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

5.57

-25.13%

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

Last update for Muar: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Muar

$274 28.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 3% $8.1

Accommodation & Living

Muar

$253 26.6%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 94.3% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Muar

$133 14%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 8.1% $11

Eating Out

Muar

$126 13.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 3.7% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muar

$97 10.2%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 28.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Muar

$47 4.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 76% $36

Getting Around

Muar

$21 2.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 243% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Muar and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muar pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29 in Muar vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $266, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Muar

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

21:33 9:33 PM

20:33 8:33 PM

1 h behind Muar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

314,776

79,308

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Muar Phuket 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Muar
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

Muar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $951 in Muar and $1,278 in Phuket, so Muar is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $445 in Muar versus $716 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 81% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $240 in Muar versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $951 in Muar versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.