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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $868 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,344 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,819 in Kedah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 45% more expensive than Kedah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kedah 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.02 MYR 12.24

50.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$21.42 MYR 86.9

117.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.28 MYR 17.34

97.90%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.95 MYR 11.95

2.71%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.74 MYR 3.02

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.37 MYR 1.48

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$4.40 MYR 17.83

-43.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.48 MYR 18.18

-18.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.81 MYR 7.34

20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.91 MYR 3.67

108.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.21 MYR 4.91

81.82%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.11 MYR 8.58

5.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$15.33 MYR 62.2

30.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.00 MYR 20.26

-26.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$14.66 MYR 59.5

-9.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.88 MYR 11.69

12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.19 MYR 4.83

42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.61 MYR 10.59

-8.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.17 MYR 8.81

-4.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.19 MYR 4.83

33.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.16 MYR 4.71

27.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.97 MYR 3.92

6.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.48 MYR 1.95

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.13 MYR 16.75

2.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$19.59 MYR 79.5

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.64 MYR 10.69

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.37 MYR 13.66

-18.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.68 MYR 2.77

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$11.77 MYR 47.71

-3.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.69 MYR 2.82

355.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.47 MYR 1.92

121.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.98 MYR 28.32

97.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.49 MYR 2.00

173.47%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$33.5K MYR 135.8K

-17.34%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$27.4K MYR 110.9K

23.78%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$38.49 MYR 156

221.10%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$9.99 MYR 40.49

35.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$11.96 MYR 48.51

56.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$36.49 MYR 148

69.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$5.85 MYR 23.74

194.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$2.81 MYR 11.40

225.27%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$238 MYR 963

195.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,215 MYR 25.2K

155.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$55.4 MYR 225

7.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$28.32 MYR 115

23.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$62.0 MYR 251

85.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$52.5 MYR 213

59.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$380 MYR 1,540

62.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$270 MYR 1,093

60.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$646 MYR 2,620

219.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$465 MYR 1,885

225.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,964 MYR 7,963

85.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$957 MYR 3,880

174.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,322 MYR 5,359

-61.64%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kedah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $380 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 161% 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 $293 vs $273 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 45% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $868 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kedah earns 161% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $380 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 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 $868 in Kedah versus $1,261 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 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.