Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gombak Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gombak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $971 in Gombak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,435 in Gombak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,899 in Gombak.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Gombak, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Gombak 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.75 MYR 15.24

24.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$24.33 MYR 99.0

32.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.04 MYR 20.51

72.22%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.06 MYR 12.45

-5.23%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.89 MYR 3.61

-5.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.45 MYR 1.83

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.25 MYR 13.24

-23.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$5.87 MYR 23.87

-36.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.96 MYR 7.96

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.05 MYR 4.26

34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.51 MYR 6.15

7.28%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.80 MYR 7.32

24.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.03 MYR 40.81

97.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$3.21 MYR 13.07

8.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.83 MYR 39.99

15.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.49 MYR 14.20

-16.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.95 MYR 7.95

-11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.65 MYR 10.78

-14.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.83 MYR 7.43

16.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.12 MYR 8.61

-30.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.98 MYR 8.05

-28.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.51 MYR 6.13

-27.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.53 MYR 2.16

13.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.72 MYR 19.21

-8.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$19.16 MYR 77.9

-2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.71 MYR 11.03

-33.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$4.52 MYR 18.38

-34.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.77 MYR 3.11

192.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$12.29 MYR 49.99

91.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.22 MYR 4.98

154.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.36 MYR 1.46

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$9.46 MYR 38.47

-59.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.72 MYR 2.94

98.61%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$41.8K MYR 170.0K

-33.51%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$33.1K MYR 134.7K

-18.52%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$49.11 MYR 200

113.40%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$8.30 MYR 33.76

37.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$26.69 MYR 109

-34.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$40.92 MYR 166

32.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$6.51 MYR 26.47

75.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.18 MYR 12.95

144.65%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$285 MYR 1,160

102.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

10.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$52.1 MYR 212

22.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$29.69 MYR 121

-1.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$78.1 MYR 318

23.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$85.7 MYR 349

4.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$426 MYR 1,733

72.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$329 MYR 1,338

52.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$698 MYR 2,841

204.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$495 MYR 2,015

152.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,104 MYR 8,561

67.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,139 MYR 4,634

130.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$557 MYR 2,265

-8.82%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Gombak: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $426 in Gombak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gombak pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Gombak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $251 per month, with Gombak cheaper across the board.

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 Gombak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gombak wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gombak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Gombak. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $426 in Gombak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gombak – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $971 in Gombak versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gombak but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Gombak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gombak delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $971 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gombak hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Gombak are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gombak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.