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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $810 in Gombak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,218 in Gombak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,626 in Gombak.

Living in Phuket is roughly 54% more expensive than in Gombak, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Gombak 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.65 MYR 10.86

71.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$19.02 MYR 77.8

142.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.66 MYR 14.99

141.53%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.31 MYR 9.46

32.47%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.69 MYR 2.81

5.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.36 MYR 1.49

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.47 MYR 14.18

-29.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.03 MYR 20.56

-24.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.83 MYR 7.46

23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.96 MYR 3.94

88.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.45 MYR 5.93

55.17%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.88 MYR 7.69

19.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.75 MYR 43.97

81.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.45 MYR 14.10

5.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.98 MYR 32.63

63.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.74 MYR 11.22

17.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.69 MYR 6.91

-4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.49 MYR 10.16

-4.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.25 MYR 5.11

62.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.13 MYR 4.64

35.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.03 MYR 4.22

45.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.96 MYR 3.92

2.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.52 MYR 2.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.27 MYR 17.48

3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$19.27 MYR 78.8

-4.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.70 MYR 11.05

-31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$3.83 MYR 15.65

-30.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.68 MYR 2.80

107.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$11.64 MYR 47.63

0.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.03 MYR 4.21

201.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.10 MYR 4.49

-5.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.21 MYR 17.24

235.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.49 MYR 2.01

167.35%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$30.9K MYR 126.3K

-9.90%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.8K MYR 113.7K

19.48%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$41.04 MYR 168

198.34%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.57 MYR 39.16

42.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$23.09 MYR 94.4

-19.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$36.23 MYR 148

66.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$5.83 MYR 23.84

191.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.04 MYR 20.60

79.96%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$119 MYR 487

492.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,236 MYR 17.3K

273.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$48.65 MYR 199

20.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$27.37 MYR 112

29.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$54.4 MYR 223

112.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$48.32 MYR 198

73.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$385 MYR 1,576

62.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$274 MYR 1,119

62.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$653 MYR 2,672

212.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$472 MYR 1,931

216.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,780 MYR 7,282

95.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,304 MYR 5,333

97.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$551 MYR 2,252

-9.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.96

34.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Gombak: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $385 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Gombak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $230 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 54% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $385 in Gombak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% 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 $19.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $810 in Gombak versus $1,250 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 $810 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 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.