Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Johor Bahru Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Johor Bahru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,048 in Johor Bahru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,549 in Johor Bahru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,050 in Johor Bahru.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than in Johor Bahru, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Johor Bahru 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.68 MYR 15.05

19.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$21.22 MYR 86.9

52.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$4.89 MYR 20.01

82.62%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.93 MYR 12.01

-1.02%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.84 MYR 3.44

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.52 MYR 2.11

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$4.39 MYR 17.97

-46.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$6.32 MYR 25.88

-41.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.67 MYR 6.83

11.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.11 MYR 4.53

32.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.43 MYR 5.86

8.39%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.68 MYR 6.89

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$18.49 MYR 75.7

5.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.67 MYR 19.13

-26.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$10.73 MYR 43.91

6.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$3.29 MYR 13.48

-9.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.76 MYR 7.21

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$3.75 MYR 15.34

-41.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.68 MYR 6.86

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.41 MYR 5.79

7.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.67 MYR 6.82

-19.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.38 MYR 5.64

-18.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.54 MYR 2.22

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.23 MYR 17.32

0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$14.40 MYR 58.9

32.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.96 MYR 12.11

-39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$3.08 MYR 12.63

-9.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.72 MYR 2.93

209.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$12.16 MYR 49.79

87.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.43 MYR 5.84

111.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.75 MYR 3.09

36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$9.99 MYR 40.88

-61.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.82 MYR 3.36

81.71%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$42.6K MYR 174.3K

-37.57%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$35.7K MYR 146.2K

-24.31%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$53.6 MYR 219

91.32%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$11.39 MYR 46.60

-0.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$28.27 MYR 116

-38.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$40.40 MYR 165

28.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$5.79 MYR 23.72

91.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.79 MYR 19.61

60.54%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$161 MYR 658

249.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$4,523 MYR 18.5K

154.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$53.7 MYR 220

17.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$16.30 MYR 66.7

81.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$83.2 MYR 340

17.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$98.1 MYR 401

-9.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$515 MYR 2,108

43.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$397 MYR 1,625

21.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$905 MYR 3,702

132.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$639 MYR 2,615

91.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,058 MYR 8,423

75.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,177 MYR 4,818

121.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,090 MYR 4,460

-54.70%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $515 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 121% 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 $21.00 in Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $271 per month, with Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Johor Bahru differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,048 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 121% lower in Johor Bahru. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $515 in Johor Bahru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johor Bahru – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,048 in Johor Bahru – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,048 in Johor Bahru versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Johor Bahru but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Johor Bahru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.