Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Langkawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Langkawi: $532 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Langkawi
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Langkawi Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Langkawi

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Langkawi

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

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $532 in Langkawi, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Langkawi $532

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $765 in Langkawi, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Langkawi $765

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $998 in Langkawi, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Langkawi $998

Phuket costs about 127% more than Langkawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Langkawi are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Langkawi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$3.38 MYR 13.78

30.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$19.80 MYR 80.8

62.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.52 MYR 26.61

34.36%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.66 MYR 6.79

70.48%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.90 MYR 3.67

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.55 MYR 2.24

-14.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.73 MYR 7.04

47.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.16 MYR 8.82

77.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.72 MYR 7.03

0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.31 MYR 5.33

12.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.73 MYR 7.06

25.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$17.04 MYR 69.5

15.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.98 MYR 8.10

43.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.02 MYR 4.16

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.74 MYR 7.11

25.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.68 MYR 6.86

22.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.70 MYR 2.84

97.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.68 MYR 15.02

15.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$8.42 MYR 34.37

120.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$0.96 MYR 3.92

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.20 MYR 4.91

137.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.87 MYR 3.53

66.67%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$24.9K MYR 101.5K

5.87%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$36.14 MYR 147

166.69%

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

$11.04 ฿369

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$24.84 MYR 101

110.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

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

$556 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$309 MYR 1,262

138.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$240 MYR 979

92.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$360 MYR 1,469

481.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$316 MYR 1,291

279.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,147 MYR 4,679

204.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,222 MYR 4,985

-59.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Langkawi: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Langkawi

$240 45.2% 48.1% $222

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Langkawi

$145 * 27.3% 45.9% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Langkawi

$36 * 6.8% 71% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Langkawi

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Langkawi

$85 16.1% 29.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Langkawi

$25 * 4.7% 63.4% $43

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Langkawi

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $309 in Langkawi. 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 144% higher in Langkawi, 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 $20.00 in Langkawi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $145 – making Langkawi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Langkawi

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

16:59 4:59 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

30,212

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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

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Phuket Langkawi 230 km

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Phuket
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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 Langkawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,208 in Phuket, $532 in Langkawi – roughly 127% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $797 in Langkawi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $20.00 in Langkawi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,208 in Phuket and $532 in Langkawi. That's a gap of about 127%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Langkawi, where all-in costs run around $532, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Langkawi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $532 in Langkawi to $1,208 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Langkawi. 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.