Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alor Setar

For one person, living is cheaper in Alor Setar: $868 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Alor Setar
Learn more

Alor Setar Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$868

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Alor Setar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Alor Setar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $868 in Alor Setar, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Alor Setar $868

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,310 in Alor Setar, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Alor Setar $1,310

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,752 in Alor Setar, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Alor Setar $1,752

Phuket costs about 47% more than Alor Setar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Alor Setar are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Alor Setar 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.06 MYR 8.38

116.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$12.28 MYR 50.0

163.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.09 MYR 16.65

115.40%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.92 MYR 7.84

47.40%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.54 MYR 2.18

61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.30 MYR 1.23

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$4.10 MYR 16.71

-37.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.52 MYR 18.42

-18.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.61 MYR 6.56

3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.85 MYR 3.47

71.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.75 MYR 7.11

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.53 MYR 6.22

36.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$13.63 MYR 55.5

39.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.32 MYR 17.62

-23.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.47 MYR 34.51

28.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.07 MYR 12.50

-4.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.19 MYR 4.84

42.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.60 MYR 10.61

-13.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.47 MYR 5.98

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.06 MYR 4.32

42.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.08 MYR 4.38

27.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.09 MYR 4.45

-1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.57 MYR 2.33

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.45 MYR 18.13

-5.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$18.90 MYR 77.0

-0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.98 MYR 12.15

-38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$5.18 MYR 21.11

-45.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.70 MYR 2.84

107.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$12.69 MYR 51.7

346.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.73 MYR 7.03

74.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.41 MYR 1.66

148.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$7.38 MYR 30.09

-50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.49 MYR 1.99

200.00%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$45.3K MYR 184.5K

-40.87%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

-25.54%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$37.81 MYR 154

154.83%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.47 MYR 30.44

50.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$21.90 MYR 89.3

-23.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$37.64 MYR 153

78.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$6.37 MYR 25.95

68.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.83 MYR 19.68

55.28%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$396 MYR 1,615

20.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$10.7K MYR 43.6K

5.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$59.6 MYR 243

4.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$35.76 MYR 146

-20.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$81.7 MYR 333

15.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$68.9 MYR 281

24.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$421 MYR 1,713

70.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$294 MYR 1,197

67.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$653 MYR 2,660

195.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$532 MYR 2,167

169.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$2,256 MYR 9,193

85.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,157 MYR 4,712

163.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,600 MYR 6,519

-68.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.04

37.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Alor Setar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Alor Setar

$294 33.8% 40.2% $197

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Alor Setar

$245 28.3% 7.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Alor Setar

$67 7.7% 46% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Alor Setar

$111 12.8% 9.2% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Alor Setar

$85 9.8% 30.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Alor Setar

$47 5.5% 42.5% $35

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Alor Setar

$19 2.2% 72.7% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $421 in Alor Setar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Alor Setar are about 3.2 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $12 in Alor Setar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $245 – making Alor Setar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Alor Setar

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

05:14 5:14 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

423,868

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Alor Setar 290 km

From you

Phuket
Alor Setar

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

Phuket vs Alor Setar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 47% more than Alor Setar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,303 in Alor Setar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alor Setar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $421 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $396 in Alor Setar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,278 in Phuket and $868 in Alor Setar. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Alor Setar – 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, Alor Setar is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 32% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.