Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kuantan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuantan: $839 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kuantan

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $839 in Kuantan, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Kuantan $839

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,219 in Kuantan, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Kuantan $1,219

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,599 in Kuantan, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Kuantan $1,599

Phuket costs about 44% more than Kuantan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Kuantan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Kuantan 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$2.49 MYR 10.18

83.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$12.00 MYR 48.96

170.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$3.63 MYR 14.83

135.54%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.88 MYR 11.73

-5.56%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.71 MYR 2.89

32.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.45 MYR 1.82

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.80 MYR 11.43

-7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$5.73 MYR 23.37

-33.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.60 MYR 6.52

8.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.82 MYR 3.35

74.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.47 MYR 5.98

4.08%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.31 MYR 5.34

65.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$9.51 MYR 38.79

101.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$3.28 MYR 13.36

0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$4.42 MYR 18.04

152.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.03 MYR 12.35

-2.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-12.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.73 MYR 11.12

-15.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.75 MYR 7.14

21.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.72 MYR 7.03

-11.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.94 MYR 7.93

-29.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.76 MYR 3.12

47.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.56 MYR 2.28

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.38 MYR 17.85

-2.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$19.95 MYR 81.4

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.99 MYR 8.13

-12.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.92 MYR 7.81

45.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.51 MYR 2.07

335.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$12.15 MYR 49.55

81.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.13 MYR 4.61

157.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.35 MYR 1.45

188.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$9.05 MYR 36.92

-57.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.52 MYR 2.13

186.54%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

-21.77%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

-19.25%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$49.82 MYR 203

99.46%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$8.06 MYR 32.86

39.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$24.16 MYR 98.6

-28.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$39.79 MYR 162

31.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$6.83 MYR 27.87

58.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$4.65 MYR 18.98

62.80%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$280 MYR 1,142

99.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

12.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$52.4 MYR 214

19.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$30.29 MYR 124

-5.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$49.62 MYR 202

93.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$48.89 MYR 199

80.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$411 MYR 1,675

77.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$302 MYR 1,232

52.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$692 MYR 2,822

203.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$476 MYR 1,943

156.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$2,015 MYR 8,220

71.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,090 MYR 4,448

128.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$975 MYR 3,976

-49.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.15

34.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Kuantan

$302 36% 34.4% $158

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Kuantan

$212 25.3% 20.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Kuantan

$82 9.8% 35.9% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Kuantan

$82 9.7% 34.3% $43

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Kuantan

$95 11.4% 21.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Kuantan

$49 5.9% 27.2% $18

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Kuantan

$17 2% 56.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $411 in Kuantan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 98% higher in Kuantan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $12.00 in Kuantan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $212 – making Kuantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🕒 Local time

07:09 7:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

548,014

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kuantan 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kuantan

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 Kuantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,259 in Kuantan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuantan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $280 in Kuantan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuantan, where all-in costs run around $839, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Kuantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kuantan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.