Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kuala Lipis

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lipis: $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
44

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lipis
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Kuala Lipis Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kuala Lipis

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

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

Phuket $1,278
Kuala Lipis $897

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,420 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Kuala Lipis $1,420

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,944 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Kuala Lipis $1,944

Phuket costs about 43% more than Kuala Lipis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.59 MYR 14.62

24.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$24.70 MYR 101

31.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.98 MYR 20.31

76.91%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.99 MYR 12.20

-5.35%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.85 MYR 3.48

2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.42 MYR 1.70

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$3.21 MYR 13.06

-20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.63 MYR 22.94

-34.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.95 MYR 7.96

-14.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.08 MYR 4.38

35.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.47 MYR 6.00

2.04%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.78 MYR 7.24

17.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$9.81 MYR 39.99

94.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.17 MYR 12.92

4.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.58 MYR 39.01

13.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.59 MYR 14.64

-18.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.85 MYR 7.54

-8.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.75 MYR 11.22

-18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.83 MYR 7.46

13.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-30.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$2.05 MYR 8.36

-32.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.49 MYR 6.06

-28.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.52 MYR 2.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.46 MYR 18.17

-5.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$19.69 MYR 80.2

-4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.71 MYR 11.04

-32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$4.44 MYR 18.08

-36.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.66 MYR 2.67

119.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$13.50 MYR 55.0

319.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.20 MYR 4.91

151.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.36 MYR 1.46

183.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$8.79 MYR 35.81

-58.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.81 MYR 3.29

81.48%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$44.9K MYR 183.1K

-40.41%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$34.8K MYR 142.0K

-23.41%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$49.77 MYR 203

93.59%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.30 MYR 33.81

35.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$27.35 MYR 111

-38.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$40.93 MYR 167

64.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$7.48 MYR 30.46

43.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.88 MYR 19.88

53.69%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$276 MYR 1,125

72.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$10.3K MYR 42.0K

9.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$51.6 MYR 210

20.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$29.76 MYR 121

-4.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$77.7 MYR 317

21.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$86.8 MYR 354

-1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$385 MYR 1,571

85.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$268 MYR 1,092

83.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$693 MYR 2,824

178.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$558 MYR 2,272

156.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$2,178 MYR 8,872

91.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,305 MYR 5,315

133.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

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 Kuala Lipis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kuala Lipis

$268 29.9% 45.4% $223

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kuala Lipis

$251 28% 5.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kuala Lipis

$85 9.5% 31.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kuala Lipis

$111 12.3% 9.2% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kuala Lipis

$112 12.5% 8% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kuala Lipis

$51 5.7% 38.4% $32

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kuala Lipis

$19 2.1% 72.9% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $385 in Kuala Lipis. 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 $25 in Kuala Lipis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $251 – making Kuala Lipis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Kuala Lipis

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

06:08 6:08 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

20,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kuala Lipis 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kuala Lipis

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 Kuala Lipis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 43%, 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 $1,345 in Kuala Lipis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lipis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $385 there versus $716 in Phuket.

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

Public transport costs about 76% less in Kuala Lipis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lipis – 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, Kuala Lipis 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.