Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kemaman

For one person, living is cheaper in Kemaman: $897 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kemaman
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Kemaman Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kemaman

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kemaman

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $897 in Kemaman, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Kemaman $897

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,369 in Kemaman, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Kemaman $1,369

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,841 in Kemaman, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Kemaman $1,841

Phuket costs about 42% more than Kemaman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Kemaman are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kemaman 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.62 MYR 10.65

70.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$14.92 MYR 60.7

117.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.40 MYR 17.90

100.23%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.09 MYR 12.57

-8.41%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$0.48 MYR 1.93

81.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.36 MYR 1.46

36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.28 MYR 13.34

-21.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.76 MYR 23.45

-36.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.88 MYR 7.66

-11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.04 MYR 4.24

40.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.01 MYR 4.13

48.51%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.15 MYR 4.70

81.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$9.61 MYR 39.11

98.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.19 MYR 13.00

3.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.30 MYR 37.84

17.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$3.59 MYR 14.63

-18.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.87 MYR 7.62

-9.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.62 MYR 10.66

-14.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.82 MYR 7.40

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.17 MYR 8.83

-30.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$2.04 MYR 8.30

-32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$1.47 MYR 5.98

-27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.51 MYR 2.08

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.57 MYR 18.60

-8.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$19.42 MYR 79.1

-3.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.72 MYR 11.09

-33.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.44 MYR 18.07

-36.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.76 MYR 3.11

90.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$10.79 MYR 43.94

425.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.20 MYR 4.88

151.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$0.36 MYR 1.46

183.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$8.90 MYR 36.24

-58.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$0.48 MYR 1.94

206.25%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$46.4K MYR 188.7K

-42.25%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$36.1K MYR 146.8K

-26.01%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$49.04 MYR 200

96.47%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.25 MYR 33.58

36.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$27.11 MYR 110

-37.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$41.78 MYR 170

60.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$6.29 MYR 25.62

70.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.79 MYR 19.49

56.58%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$123 MYR 500

287.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$10.3K MYR 42.1K

9.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$52.0 MYR 211

20.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$30.15 MYR 123

-5.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$78.6 MYR 320

19.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$86.0 MYR 350

-0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$434 MYR 1,767

64.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$288 MYR 1,171

70.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$636 MYR 2,589

202.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$546 MYR 2,223

161.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$2,062 MYR 8,395

102.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,069 MYR 4,351

184.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.51

23.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kemaman: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kemaman

$288 32.1% 41.4% $203

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kemaman

$243 27.1% 8.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kemaman

$84 9.4% 32.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kemaman

$111 12.4% 8.9% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kemaman

$102 11.4% 15.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kemaman

$51 5.7% 37.5% $31

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kemaman

$17 1.9% 76.1% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $434 in Kemaman. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $15 in Kemaman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $243 – making Kemaman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Kemaman

🕒 Local time

00:33 12:33 AM

01:33 1:33 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

215,582

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kemaman 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kemaman

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 Kemaman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,346 in Kemaman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kemaman, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $15 in Kemaman. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $897 in Kemaman. That makes Kemaman about 30% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kemaman, where all-in costs run around $897, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Kemaman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kemaman – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Kemaman is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.