Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kuching Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kuching

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $802 in Kuching.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,218 in Kuching.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,633 in Kuching.

Living in Phuket is roughly 57% more expensive than Kuching, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kuching 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.76 MYR 11.19

65.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$20.32 MYR 82.4

129.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.81 MYR 19.51

76.09%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.53 MYR 10.26

19.76%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.76 MYR 3.07

-9.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.29 MYR 1.19

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.78 MYR 11.27

-10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.61 MYR 14.63

1.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.91 MYR 7.76

14.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.09 MYR 4.44

74.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.06 MYR 4.28

107.55%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.15 MYR 8.73

3.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.37 MYR 38.01

113.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.79 MYR 15.36

-3.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.01 MYR 32.49

65.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.99 MYR 12.14

8.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.14 MYR 4.63

49.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.59 MYR 10.48

-7.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.80 MYR 7.31

15.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.11 MYR 4.50

43.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.24 MYR 5.01

19.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.69 MYR 6.87

-39.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.53 MYR 2.13

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.19 MYR 17.00

1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$21.36 MYR 86.6

-12.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$3.87 MYR 15.69

-54.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.41 MYR 13.82

-19.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.23 MYR 0.93

491.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$11.92 MYR 48.32

-4.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.93 MYR 3.76

237.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.11 MYR 4.49

-6.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.84 MYR 7.45

648.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.50 MYR 2.03

168.00%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$44.6K MYR 180.8K

-37.91%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$37.3K MYR 151.3K

-9.27%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$41.24 MYR 167

199.68%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.92 MYR 36.16

51.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$25.42 MYR 103

-26.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$29.51 MYR 120

109.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$9.77 MYR 39.62

76.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.63 MYR 18.77

97.41%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$141 MYR 572

397.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,063 MYR 24.6K

161.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$65.8 MYR 267

-9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$31.99 MYR 130

9.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$85.9 MYR 348

34.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$71.5 MYR 290

17.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$285 MYR 1,156

117.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$205 MYR 830

111.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$556 MYR 2,255

270.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$386 MYR 1,566

291.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,144 MYR 8,692

70.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,535 MYR 6,224

71.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$552 MYR 2,239

-8.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.27

24.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kuching: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $285 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuching pays 9% 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 $20.00 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $243 per month, with Kuching 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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kuching earns 9% 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 $285 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $802 in Kuching – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $802 in Kuching versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kuching the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kuching is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kuching 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 Kuching gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.