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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $863 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,326 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,790 in Kedah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than in Kedah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Kedah 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.98 MYR 12.17

50.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,522

$21.22 MYR 86.7

114.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.13 MYR 16.85

112.11%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$2.83 MYR 11.55

4.95%

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

$0.69 ฿22.92

$0.68 MYR 2.77

1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.34 MYR 1.38

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$4.44 MYR 18.12

-43.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.51 MYR 18.42

-16.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.87 MYR 7.65

14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.95 MYR 3.90

91.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$1.20 MYR 4.92

81.67%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$2.12 MYR 8.66

6.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$15.11 MYR 61.7

32.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.18 MYR 21.15

-29.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$14.66 MYR 59.9

-7.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.91 MYR 11.90

11.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.19 MYR 4.88

37.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$2.69 MYR 11.00

-13.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$2.09 MYR 8.55

-0.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.13 MYR 4.61

37.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.58

$1.18 MYR 4.81

23.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.88

$0.95 MYR 3.88

3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.45 MYR 1.83

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.23 MYR 17.26

2.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$21.23 MYR 86.7

-12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$2.64 MYR 10.77

-29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$3.41 MYR 13.94

-22.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.32

$0.68 MYR 2.78

108.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$11.81 MYR 48.24

-2.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.72 MYR 2.95

340.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.45

$0.50 MYR 2.06

106.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$6.89 MYR 28.15

101.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.88

$0.50 MYR 2.05

168.00%

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

$27.8K ฿927.9K

$33.7K MYR 137.6K

-17.51%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.9K MYR 114.0K

19.55%

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

$123 ฿4,109

$39.27 MYR 160

213.34%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$10.03 MYR 40.95

37.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$11.86 MYR 48.45

54.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,026

$36.69 MYR 150

65.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$5.81 MYR 23.71

195.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$2.80 MYR 11.44

216.79%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$235 MYR 961

192.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.9K

$6,259 MYR 25.6K

152.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,980

$55.4 MYR 226

6.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,158

$29.00 MYR 118

19.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,846

$62.2 MYR 254

85.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,797

$52.2 MYR 213

60.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$386 MYR 1,575

61.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$265 MYR 1,084

68.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$632 MYR 2,580

221.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$465 MYR 1,899

221.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$2,134 MYR 8,714

61.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$1,171 MYR 4,781

116.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,310 MYR 5,350

-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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kedah: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $386 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $277 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 47% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $863 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 165% lower in Kedah. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $386 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $235 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $863 in Kedah versus $1,264 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 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.