Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bukit Mertajam

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukit Mertajam: $621 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Bukit Mertajam
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Bukit Mertajam Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bukit Mertajam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bukit Mertajam

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 Bukit Mertajam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $621 in Bukit Mertajam.

Phuket $1,278
Bukit Mertajam $621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $976 in Bukit Mertajam.

Phuket $2,216
Bukit Mertajam $976

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,331 in Bukit Mertajam.

Phuket $3,154
Bukit Mertajam $1,331

Living in Phuket is roughly 106% more expensive than in Bukit Mertajam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bukit Mertajam 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.91 MYR 7.76

134.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$20.97 MYR 85.0

54.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.98 MYR 16.15

121.36%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.14 MYR 12.72

-9.87%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.69 MYR 2.81

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.45 MYR 1.84

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$4.51 MYR 18.28

-43.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.26 MYR 25.38

-41.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.66 MYR 6.73

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.12 MYR 4.55

30.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.95 MYR 7.91

-23.08%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.55 MYR 10.33

-18.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$13.83 MYR 56.1

37.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.41 MYR 17.89

-25.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.98 MYR 40.48

9.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.39 MYR 13.74

-13.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.76 MYR 7.13

-3.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.26 MYR 9.17

-0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.55 MYR 6.29

34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.27 MYR 5.13

18.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.38 MYR 5.58

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.12 MYR 4.53

-4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.67 MYR 2.70

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.45 MYR 18.04

-5.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$19.54 MYR 79.2

-3.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.42 MYR 13.85

-46.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$5.08 MYR 20.61

-44.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.24 MYR 5.01

143.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.19 MYR 4.84

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$4.95 MYR 20.07

-25.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.81 MYR 3.29

81.48%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$43.9K MYR 177.8K

-38.95%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$35.5K MYR 144.0K

-24.84%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$63.1 MYR 256

52.74%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.54 MYR 34.62

31.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$26.67 MYR 108

-36.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.00 MYR 20.28

50.00%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$249 MYR 1,009

91.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$13.1K MYR 53.2K

-14.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$70.5 MYR 286

-11.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$41.35 MYR 168

-31.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$86.7 MYR 352

8.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$95.0 MYR 385

-9.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$572 MYR 2,321

-12.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.17

33.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bukit Mertajam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bukit Mertajam

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bukit Mertajam

$269 43.3% 1% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bukit Mertajam

$98 15.8% 21% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bukit Mertajam

$132 21.3% 8.4% $10

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bukit Mertajam

$105 16.8% 14.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bukit Mertajam

$10 * 1.6% 87.8% $72

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bukit Mertajam

$7.2 * 1.2% 89.8% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Bukit Mertajam pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $21 in Bukit Mertajam. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $269, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Bukit Mertajam

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

19:45 7:45 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

212,329

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.52 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Bukit Mertajam 360 km

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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 Bukit Mertajam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $621 in Bukit Mertajam, so Bukit Mertajam is about 51% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $249 in Bukit Mertajam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $621 in Bukit Mertajam – Bukit Mertajam is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $621 in Bukit Mertajam versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Bukit Mertajam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bukit Mertajam 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, Phuket and Bukit Mertajam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.