Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kuching

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $972 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kuching

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $972 in Kuching.

Phuket $1,278
Kuching $972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,521 in Kuching.

Phuket $2,216
Kuching $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,070 in Kuching.

Phuket $3,154
Kuching $2,070

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than in Kuching, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kuching 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.37 MYR 13.68

32.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$24.51 MYR 99.4

32.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.90 MYR 19.88

79.80%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.19 MYR 12.94

-11.29%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.78 MYR 3.18

11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.38 MYR 1.55

28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$4.61 MYR 18.69

-44.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.96 MYR 24.18

-38.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.39 MYR 9.69

-30.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.19 MYR 4.84

22.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.19 MYR 4.82

26.05%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.38 MYR 9.63

-12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$10.99 MYR 44.55

73.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.34 MYR 17.58

-23.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.00 MYR 40.53

9.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.17 MYR 12.86

-7.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.32 MYR 5.36

28.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.52 MYR 10.23

-10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.78 MYR 7.22

16.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.38 MYR 5.60

9.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.19 MYR 4.82

15.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.61 MYR 6.53

-33.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.55 MYR 2.21

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.76 MYR 19.28

-11.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$22.25 MYR 90.2

-15.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$4.13 MYR 16.73

-55.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$5.06 MYR 20.50

-43.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.36 MYR 1.46

302.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$7.48 MYR 30.32

657.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.97 MYR 3.93

211.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.23 MYR 4.99

-17.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$8.82 MYR 35.74

-58.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.94 MYR 3.81

56.38%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$45.9K MYR 186.2K

-41.71%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$36.1K MYR 146.2K

-25.99%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$35.63 MYR 144

170.42%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$10.19 MYR 41.31

10.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$25.50 MYR 103

-33.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$33.85 MYR 137

98.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$12.26 MYR 49.69

-12.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.87 MYR 19.75

54.00%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$135 MYR 548

252.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$7,150 MYR 29.0K

57.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$64.1 MYR 260

-2.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$37.52 MYR 152

-24.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$90.0 MYR 365

4.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$64.6 MYR 262

32.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$469 MYR 1,902

52.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$334 MYR 1,354

46.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$834 MYR 3,382

130.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$654 MYR 2,653

118.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,053 MYR 8,322

103.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,534 MYR 6,217

98.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$535 MYR 2,170

-6.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.37

27.46%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kuching

$334 34.4% 32% $157

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kuching

$272 28% 2.3% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kuching

$71 7.3% 42.7% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kuching

$115 11.9% 5.4% $6.6

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kuching

$120 12.3% 1.7% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kuching

$44 4.5% 47% $39

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kuching

$16 1.7% 77.3% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $469 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuching pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $25 in Kuching. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $272, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

11:06 11:06 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

349,147

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 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 = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kuching 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kuching

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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $469 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kuching runs roughly 87% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $972 in Kuching – Kuching is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.