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 $944 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,399 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,853 in Kedah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Kedah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Kedah 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.51 MYR 14.38

25.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$12.36 MYR 50.6

161.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$5.03 MYR 20.58

77.53%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.66 MYR 10.91

9.02%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.91 MYR 3.74

-3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.33 MYR 1.34

45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.41 MYR 9.87

-2.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.29 MYR 17.56

-13.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$2.43 MYR 9.95

-23.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.36 MYR 5.57

8.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.76 MYR 7.20

-11.93%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.62 MYR 10.71

-19.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$15.65 MYR 64.0

25.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.90 MYR 20.07

-30.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$9.56 MYR 39.14

19.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.36 MYR 9.65

26.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.45 MYR 5.92

15.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.28 MYR 9.32

-3.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.25 MYR 5.13

72.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.91 MYR 3.74

67.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.79 MYR 3.23

69.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.77 MYR 3.17

46.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.65 MYR 2.66

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.66 MYR 19.08

-8.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$21.25 MYR 87.0

-10.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.49 MYR 10.18

-28.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$3.63 MYR 14.85

-23.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.74 MYR 3.04

201.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$11.77 MYR 48.18

93.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.22 MYR 4.99

148.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.50 MYR 2.06

104.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$6.64 MYR 27.19

-41.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.60 MYR 2.45

148.33%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$41.8K MYR 171.1K

-36.42%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$28.8K MYR 117.7K

-6.01%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$50.7 MYR 207

102.31%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$7.98 MYR 32.64

41.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$32.15 MYR 132

-45.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$39.87 MYR 163

30.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$5.78 MYR 23.67

91.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.81 MYR 19.69

59.88%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$171 MYR 698

228.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$4,987 MYR 20.4K

130.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$54.5 MYR 223

15.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$35.20 MYR 144

-16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$72.3 MYR 296

35.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$69.5 MYR 284

27.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$416 MYR 1,701

77.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$320 MYR 1,311

50.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$693 MYR 2,837

203.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$451 MYR 1,847

171.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$1,745 MYR 7,141

107.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,006 MYR 4,117

158.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,329 MYR 5,440

-62.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.43

25.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kedah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $416 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 169% 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 $12.00 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $269 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $944 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 169% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $416 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $171 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $944 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.