Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cheras

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheras: $1,139 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
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Cheras Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cheras

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,139 in Cheras, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Cheras $1,139

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,560 in Cheras, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Cheras $1,560

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,982 in Cheras, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Cheras $1,982

Phuket costs about 12% more than Cheras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Cheras are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Cheras 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.61 MYR 14.72

23.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$24.03 MYR 97.9

34.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.02 MYR 20.44

75.50%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.99 MYR 12.17

-5.35%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.91 MYR 3.71

-4.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.57 MYR 2.32

-14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$4.33 MYR 17.63

-40.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.32 MYR 25.74

-41.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.89 MYR 7.69

-12.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.07 MYR 4.36

36.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.49 MYR 6.07

0.67%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.78 MYR 7.26

17.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$18.03 MYR 73.5

5.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.56 MYR 18.59

-27.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.89 MYR 44.39

0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.58 MYR 14.59

-18.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.86 MYR 7.58

-9.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.63 MYR 10.73

-14.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.67 MYR 6.80

24.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.08 MYR 8.48

-27.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.65 MYR 6.73

-16.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.33 MYR 5.43

-19.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.50 MYR 2.05

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.30 MYR 17.53

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$14.15 MYR 57.7

32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.66 MYR 10.82

-31.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.15 MYR 12.83

-9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.76 MYR 3.11

90.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$12.45 MYR 50.7

355.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.94 MYR 3.84

221.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.36 MYR 1.46

183.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$9.17 MYR 37.38

-59.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.86 MYR 3.52

70.93%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$45.0K MYR 183.5K

-40.55%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$35.8K MYR 146.0K

-25.49%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$49.55 MYR 202

94.45%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$10.91 MYR 44.46

3.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$27.88 MYR 114

-39.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$52.1 MYR 212

29.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$6.66 MYR 27.12

61.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.99 MYR 20.35

50.30%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$164 MYR 667

190.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$4,411 MYR 18.0K

155.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$53.6 MYR 218

16.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$30.08 MYR 123

-5.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$81.9 MYR 334

15.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$97.3 MYR 396

-11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$386 MYR 1,574

85.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$463 MYR 1,886

6.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$666 MYR 2,713

189.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$490 MYR 1,995

192.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$2,001 MYR 8,155

108.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,081 MYR 4,402

181.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,161 MYR 4,730

-56.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.06

37.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cheras: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Cheras

$463 40.6% 5.7% $28

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Cheras

$269 23.6% 1% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Cheras

$88 7.8% 29% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Cheras

$118 10.4% 3% $3.6

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Cheras

$120 10.5% 1.4% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Cheras

$62 5.5% 24.5% $20

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cheras

$18 1.6% 74.2% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $386 in Cheras. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Cheras are about 2.3 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 $24 in Cheras. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $269 in Cheras – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Cheras

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

02:39 2:39 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

440,000

💱 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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Between locations

Phuket Cheras 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Cheras

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 Cheras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,708 in Cheras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheras, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $386 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,139 in Cheras. That’s a gap of about 12%.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $164 in Cheras. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,139 in Cheras, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Cheras – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.