Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kedah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kedah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $869 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,333 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,797 in Kedah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 42% more expensive than Kedah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kedah 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.10 MYR 12.26

49.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$20.93 MYR 82.7

123.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.12 MYR 16.26

114.56%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.92 MYR 11.52

2.74%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.74 MYR 2.91

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.36 MYR 1.44

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$4.29 MYR 16.95

-43.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.53 MYR 17.91

-20.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.81 MYR 7.16

24.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.92 MYR 3.65

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.21 MYR 4.78

85.12%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.06 MYR 8.15

12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$14.78 MYR 58.4

33.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.98 MYR 19.67

-26.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$14.83 MYR 58.6

-11.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.78 MYR 10.99

21.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.20 MYR 4.76

36.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.71 MYR 10.70

-11.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.15 MYR 8.51

-5.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.17 MYR 4.64

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.18 MYR 4.64

27.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.95 MYR 3.74

7.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.45 MYR 1.77

8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.32 MYR 17.08

3.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$19.89 MYR 78.6

-5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.69 MYR 10.61

-33.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.54 MYR 13.96

-22.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.68 MYR 2.70

105.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$11.59 MYR 45.78

-0.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.72 MYR 2.86

333.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.47 MYR 1.85

112.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.96 MYR 27.49

102.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.49 MYR 1.94

175.51%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$33.7K MYR 133.3K

-19.43%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.2K MYR 107.4K

21.03%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$37.91 MYR 150

229.68%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.09 MYR 39.84

34.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$11.64 MYR 45.97

59.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$37.47 MYR 148

64.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.95 MYR 23.49

183.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.77 MYR 10.95

231.77%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$238 MYR 942

192.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,226 MYR 24.6K

150.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$54.7 MYR 216

5.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.36 MYR 116

20.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$61.0 MYR 241

85.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$52.8 MYR 208

63.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$394 MYR 1,558

56.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$265 MYR 1,046

68.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$656 MYR 2,590

212.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$470 MYR 1,858

217.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,947 MYR 7,692

94.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$795 MYR 3,142

233.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,390 MYR 5,491

-62.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.16

28.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kedah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $394 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 165% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $272 per month, with Kedah 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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kedah differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $869 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kedah earns 165% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $394 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $238 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $869 in Kedah versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah 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 Kedah 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 Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.