Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Muar

For one person, living is cheaper in Muar: $951 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Muar
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Muar Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Muar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Muar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $951 in Muar.

Phuket $1,278
Muar $951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,505 in Muar.

Phuket $2,216
Muar $1,505

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,059 in Muar.

Phuket $3,154
Muar $2,059

Living in Phuket is roughly 34% more expensive than in Muar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Muar 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.82 MYR 19.63

-7.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$29.01 MYR 118

11.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.88 MYR 15.79

127.06%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.05 MYR 12.41

-7.21%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$0.76 MYR 3.11

14.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.46 MYR 1.87

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$4.44 MYR 18.06

-42.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.27 MYR 25.52

-41.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.13 MYR 8.68

-22.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.07 MYR 4.35

36.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.85 MYR 7.55

-18.92%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.44 MYR 9.92

-14.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$14.25 MYR 58.0

33.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.44 MYR 18.09

-25.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.95 MYR 40.50

9.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$3.36 MYR 13.69

-12.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.85 MYR 7.51

-8.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.25 MYR 9.15

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.51 MYR 6.16

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.22 MYR 4.95

23.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$1.37 MYR 5.57

0.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$1.16 MYR 4.72

-7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.71 MYR 2.90

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.45 MYR 18.11

-5.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$19.48 MYR 79.3

-3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$3.48 MYR 14.18

-47.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.99 MYR 20.33

-43.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.64 MYR 2.62

126.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$10.62 MYR 43.24

433.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.19 MYR 4.83

153.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-18.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$4.87 MYR 19.84

-24.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$0.81 MYR 3.30

81.48%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$44.4K MYR 180.8K

-39.73%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$34.9K MYR 141.9K

-23.44%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$62.0 MYR 253

55.33%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.88 MYR 36.16

26.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$26.21 MYR 107

-35.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$37.02 MYR 151

81.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$5.79 MYR 23.55

85.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.85 MYR 19.74

54.64%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$240 MYR 976

98.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$13.3K MYR 54.2K

-15.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$72.2 MYR 294

-13.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$41.83 MYR 170

-32.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$84.3 MYR 343

11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$96.3 MYR 392

-10.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$445 MYR 1,810

61.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$253 MYR 1,028

94.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$617 MYR 2,510

212.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$518 MYR 2,108

176.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$2,001 MYR 8,144

108.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,229 MYR 5,001

147.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$603 MYR 2,454

-16.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.17

33.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Muar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Muar

$253 26.6% 48.5% $238

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Muar

$274 28.9% 3.1% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Muar

$97 10.2% 22% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Muar

$133 14% 8.8% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Muar

$126 13.3% 3.9% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Muar

$47 4.9% 43.2% $36

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Muar

$21 2.2% 70.8% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $445 in Muar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muar pays 20% 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 $29 in Muar. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $274, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Muar

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

02:15 2:15 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

314,776

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Muar 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Muar

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 Muar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $951 in Muar, so Muar is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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 $445 in Muar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Muar runs roughly 81% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $240 in Muar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $951 in Muar versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Muar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Muar 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 Muar are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.