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 $812 in Gombak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Gombak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,625 in Gombak.

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than Gombak, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.54 MYR 10.07

85.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$18.70 MYR 74.2

142.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.71 MYR 14.71

127.22%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.24 MYR 8.89

30.80%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.67 MYR 2.66

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.33 MYR 1.32

12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.59 MYR 14.25

-32.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.14 MYR 20.38

-27.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.82 MYR 7.21

22.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.97 MYR 3.83

88.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.49 MYR 5.91

45.64%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.89 MYR 7.51

16.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.44 MYR 41.40

89.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.46 MYR 13.72

4.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.15 MYR 32.33

66.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.78 MYR 11.03

17.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.68 MYR 6.66

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.47 MYR 9.81

-2.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.25 MYR 4.94

66.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.18 MYR 4.70

29.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.04 MYR 4.11

42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.90 MYR 3.57

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.50 MYR 2.00

2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.15 MYR 16.46

6.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$20.52 MYR 81.4

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.73 MYR 10.82

-34.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.99 MYR 15.82

-32.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.68 MYR 2.70

101.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$11.85 MYR 46.99

-3.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.98 MYR 3.88

208.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.10 MYR 4.35

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.22 MYR 16.74

234.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.50 MYR 1.99

172.00%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$30.9K MYR 122.7K

-8.85%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.0K MYR 110.9K

17.62%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$40.18 MYR 159

202.89%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.91 MYR 39.29

36.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$22.66 MYR 89.9

-19.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$36.48 MYR 145

65.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.93 MYR 23.52

189.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.97 MYR 19.71

74.85%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$116 MYR 461

496.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,242 MYR 16.8K

269.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$49.33 MYR 196

20.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$27.02 MYR 107

28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$53.1 MYR 211

115.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$49.58 MYR 197

67.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$383 MYR 1,521

59.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$269 MYR 1,065

62.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$637 MYR 2,524

229.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$475 MYR 1,884

217.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,056 MYR 8,152

82.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$961 MYR 3,809

172.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$566 MYR 2,243

-10.19%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Gombak: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $383 in Gombak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gombak pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Gombak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $233 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 56% 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, Gombak earns 11% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $383 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $812 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 $812 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 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.