Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Miri

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $805 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$805

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Miri

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $805 in Miri.

Phuket $1,278
Miri $805

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,224 in Miri.

Phuket $2,216
Miri $1,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,644 in Miri.

Phuket $3,154
Miri $1,644

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than in Miri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Miri 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.55 MYR 14.40

25.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$12.12 MYR 49.15

167.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.42 MYR 17.91

99.32%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.26 MYR 9.15

25.22%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.80 MYR 3.24

8.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.30 MYR 1.22

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.90 MYR 11.77

-11.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.86 MYR 15.65

-4.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.40 MYR 5.69

18.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.80 MYR 7.29

-18.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.99 MYR 4.02

51.52%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.43 MYR 13.89

-39.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.88 MYR 19.80

-32.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.99 MYR 60.8

-27.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.96 MYR 7.95

-13.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.39 MYR 1.57

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.29 MYR 17.39

-2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$19.71 MYR 79.9

-4.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.00 MYR 12.15

-39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.33 MYR 9.46

21.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.47 MYR 1.92

208.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$14.01 MYR 56.8

304.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.25 MYR 5.05

141.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.59 MYR 2.38

72.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$5.98 MYR 24.24

-38.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.64 MYR 2.61

129.69%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$49.6K MYR 201.0K

-46.00%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$32.5K MYR 131.8K

-17.90%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$49.18 MYR 199

95.91%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$9.92 MYR 40.21

13.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$33.44 MYR 136

-49.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$29.19 MYR 118

130.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$6.25 MYR 25.35

71.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.33 MYR 17.57

73.21%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$99.5 MYR 403

378.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$6,535 MYR 26.5K

72.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$44.80 MYR 182

39.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$23.11 MYR 93.7

22.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$55.3 MYR 224

70.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$43.17 MYR 175

98.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$348 MYR 1,409

105.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$289 MYR 1,173

69.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$589 MYR 2,388

227.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$578 MYR 2,343

147.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,201 MYR 4,868

247.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$680 MYR 2,756

347.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$688 MYR 2,789

-27.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.12

35.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Miri: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Miri

$289 36% 41% $201

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Miri

$195 * 24.2% 26.9% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Miri

$93 11.5% 25.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Miri

$75 9.3% 38.6% $47

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Miri

$95 11.9% 21.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Miri

$38 4.7% 54% $44

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Miri

$20 2.5% 71.6% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $348 in Miri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miri pays 37% 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 $12 in Miri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $195 per month, with Miri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Miri

🕒 Local time

19:27 7:27 PM

20:27 8:27 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

248,877

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.52 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Miri 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Miri

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 Miri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miri is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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 $348 in Miri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Miri – a meal for two runs $12 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $805 in Miri – Miri is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $805 in Miri versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Miri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Miri are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.