Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kampar

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampar: $878 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Kampar, Malaysia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Kampar
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$878
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kampar

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $878 in Kampar, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Kampar $878

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,349 in Kampar, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Kampar $1,349

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,820 in Kampar, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Kampar $1,820

Phuket costs about 46% more than Kampar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Kampar are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kampar 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kampar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$2.15 MYR 8.76
107.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$19.27 MYR 78.5
68.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$4.75 MYR 19.37
85.47%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$2.39 MYR 9.74
18.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$0.51 MYR 2.06
70.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.46 MYR 1.88
6.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$2.19 MYR 8.90
16.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$6.20 MYR 25.26
-40.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kampar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.94 MYR 7.90
-14.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$0.69 MYR 2.83
111.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.85 MYR 7.52
-18.92%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.81 MYR 7.38
15.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$13.95 MYR 56.9
36.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.60 MYR 18.76
-28.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$7.21 MYR 29.37
51.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$3.35 MYR 13.63
-12.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.86 MYR 7.59
-9.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.27 MYR 9.24
-0.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$1.58 MYR 6.42
31.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.22 MYR 4.96
23.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.36 MYR 5.53
1.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$1.13 MYR 4.61
-5.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.71 MYR 2.89
-26.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$4.36 MYR 17.75
-3.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$19.63 MYR 80.0
-4.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$3.43 MYR 13.96
-46.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$5.01 MYR 20.40
-43.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kampar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$0.71 MYR 2.89
104.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$12.15 MYR 49.52
366.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.20 MYR 4.89
151.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.23 MYR 5.01
-17.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$4.84 MYR 19.74
-23.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$0.64 MYR 2.60
129.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$43.7K MYR 178.1K
-38.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$34.3K MYR 139.9K
-22.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kampar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$49.92 MYR 203
93.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$4.84 MYR 19.73
132.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$21.50 MYR 87.6
-21.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kampar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$36.90 MYR 150
82.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$6.60 MYR 26.89
62.58%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$4.92 MYR 20.03
52.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kampar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$235 MYR 957
102.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$13.0K MYR 52.8K
-13.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kampar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$60.3 MYR 246
3.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$12.03 MYR 49.01
136.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$72.4 MYR 295
30.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$72.2 MYR 294
18.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kampar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$407 MYR 1,658
75.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$289 MYR 1,179
69.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$707 MYR 2,879
172.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$547 MYR 2,228
161.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$1,867 MYR 7,607
123.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$1,348 MYR 5,491
125.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kampar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$371 MYR 1,512
35.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.17
33.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kampar: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Kampar
$289 41.1% $202
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Kampar
$258 3% $8.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Kampar
$76 38.7% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Kampar
$98 19.9% $24
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Kampar
$87 28.2% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Kampar
$47 43.2% $36
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Kampar
$22 68.3% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $407 in Kampar. 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 35% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $19 in Kampar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $258 – making Kampar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇲🇾 Kampar
🕒 Local time
01:39 1:39 AM
02:39 2:39 AM
1 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
98,878
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Kampar 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Kampar

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 Kampar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kampar cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,317 in Kampar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kampar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $407 there versus $716 in Phuket.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Kampar?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $878 in Kampar. That’s a gap of about 46%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 79% less in Kampar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Kampar?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kampar, where all-in costs run around $878, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Kampar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Kampar more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kampar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Kampar?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kampar. 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.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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