Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ampang Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Ampang Jaya: $1,009 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Ampang Jaya
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Ampang Jaya Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Ampang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ampang Jaya

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 Ampang Jaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,009 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Ampang Jaya $1,009

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,506 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Ampang Jaya $1,506

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $2,003 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Ampang Jaya $2,003

Phuket costs about 20% more than Ampang Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Phuket and Ampang Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Ampang Jaya 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.69 MYR 15.07

24.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$24.43 MYR 99.6

32.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$4.95 MYR 20.19

72.73%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$3.06 MYR 12.48

-11.11%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.93 MYR 3.79

1.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.55 MYR 2.26

-10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$4.37 MYR 17.82

-40.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$6.42 MYR 26.19

-40.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.74 MYR 7.10

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.08 MYR 4.41

32.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.50 MYR 6.10

2.00%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.76 MYR 7.18

23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$9.99 MYR 40.76

91.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$3.47 MYR 14.16

-4.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$9.91 MYR 40.42

12.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.37 MYR 13.73

-12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.69 MYR 6.91

-0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$3.21 MYR 13.09

-28.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.62 MYR 6.62

31.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.43 MYR 5.83

6.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.72 MYR 7.02

-20.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.38 MYR 5.61

-18.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.52 MYR 2.13

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.54 MYR 18.51

-6.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$19.73 MYR 80.5

-7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.85 MYR 11.61

-38.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$4.58 MYR 18.70

-39.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$1.01 MYR 4.10

119.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$19.59 MYR 79.9

12.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.25 MYR 5.08

132.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.35 MYR 1.44

188.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$6.21 MYR 25.33

-38.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.87 MYR 3.55

71.26%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$42.5K MYR 173.4K

-37.22%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$34.6K MYR 141.0K

-22.69%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$48.90 MYR 199

103.21%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$11.23 MYR 45.79

0.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$28.37 MYR 116

-38.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$36.16 MYR 148

44.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$7.54 MYR 30.76

43.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$5.04 MYR 20.54

50.20%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$193 MYR 786

189.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$4,453 MYR 18.2K

157.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$53.2 MYR 217

18.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$30.19 MYR 123

-5.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$81.6 MYR 333

17.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$86.6 MYR 353

1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$436 MYR 1,780

67.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$364 MYR 1,484

26.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$1,491 MYR 6,083

40.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$590 MYR 2,407

107.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$836 MYR 3,412

-41.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.51

23.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ampang Jaya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Ampang Jaya

$364 36.1% 20.9% $96

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Ampang Jaya

$249 24.7% 7.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Ampang Jaya

$88 8.8% 30.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ampang Jaya

$113 11.2% 8.8% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Ampang Jaya

$122 12.1% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Ampang Jaya

$46 4.6% 31.4% $21

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Ampang Jaya

$27 2.6% 31.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $436 in Ampang Jaya. 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 70% higher in Ampang Jaya, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $24.00 in Ampang Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $249 – making Ampang Jaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Ampang Jaya

🕒 Local time

18:36 6:36 PM

19:36 7:36 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

531,904

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ampang Jaya 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ampang Jaya

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 Ampang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Phuket, $1,009 in Ampang Jaya – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,513 in Ampang Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ampang Jaya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $1,009 in Ampang Jaya. That's a gap of about 20%.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Ampang Jaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ampang Jaya, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Ampang Jaya 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 $1,009 in Ampang Jaya to $1,207 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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