Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ipoh

For one person, living is cheaper in Ipoh: $922 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Ipoh
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Ipoh Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Ipoh

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ipoh

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $922 in Ipoh, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Ipoh $922

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,372 in Ipoh, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Ipoh $1,372

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,821 in Ipoh, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Ipoh $1,821

Phuket costs about 31% more than Ipoh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Ipoh are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Ipoh 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.26 MYR 13.29

40.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$19.29 MYR 78.7

68.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$4.51 MYR 18.38

89.58%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.80 MYR 11.41

-2.86%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.70 MYR 2.87

34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.44 MYR 1.81

11.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$4.34 MYR 17.70

-40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.52 MYR 18.42

-15.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.97 MYR 8.05

-11.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.05 MYR 4.29

36.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.36 MYR 5.56

12.50%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.21 MYR 9.03

-1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$13.65 MYR 55.7

40.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$4.56 MYR 18.62

-27.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$7.64 MYR 31.16

45.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.01 MYR 12.27

-1.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.77 MYR 7.21

-5.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.22 MYR 9.05

3.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.56 MYR 6.34

36.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.28 MYR 5.22

19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.34 MYR 5.48

1.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.13 MYR 4.62

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.45 MYR 1.82

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.32 MYR 17.63

-1.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$16.98 MYR 69.3

7.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$3.48 MYR 14.22

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$4.57 MYR 18.64

-38.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.62 MYR 2.54

258.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$11.56 MYR 47.14

90.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.24 MYR 5.07

134.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.23 MYR 5.04

-17.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$5.04 MYR 20.56

-24.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.52 MYR 2.11

186.54%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$41.3K MYR 168.7K

-35.47%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

-22.93%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$61.9 MYR 253

60.43%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$8.92 MYR 36.37

26.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$26.24 MYR 107

-33.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$40.16 MYR 164

30.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$6.93 MYR 28.26

56.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$3.33 MYR 13.59

127.33%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$305 MYR 1,242

83.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$13.3K MYR 54.2K

-13.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$61.5 MYR 251

2.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$36.00 MYR 147

-20.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$61.8 MYR 252

55.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$62.0 MYR 253

42.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$401 MYR 1,635

82.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$298 MYR 1,217

54.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$679 MYR 2,770

208.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$490 MYR 2,001

149.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$2,059 MYR 8,400

67.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,093 MYR 4,458

127.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$973 MYR 3,968

-49.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.99

39.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ipoh: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Ipoh

$298 32.4% 35.1% $162

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Ipoh

$250 27.2% 6.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Ipoh

$97 10.5% 24.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ipoh

$100 10.8% 19.7% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Ipoh

$108 11.8% 10.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Ipoh

$47 5.1% 30.5% $21

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Ipoh

$21 2.3% 44.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $401 in Ipoh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 97% higher in Ipoh, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $19.00 in Ipoh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $250 – making Ipoh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Ipoh

🕒 Local time

22:51 10:51 PM

23:51 11:51 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

759,952

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ipoh 470 km

From you

Phuket
Ipoh

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 Ipoh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 31% more than Ipoh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,383 in Ipoh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ipoh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 91% less in Ipoh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $305 in Ipoh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ipoh, where all-in costs run around $922, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Ipoh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ipoh costs $922 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Ipoh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.