Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Muar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Muar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,002 in Muar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,503 in Muar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,003 in Muar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than Muar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Muar 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.62 MYR 10.62

74.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$23.12 MYR 93.8

101.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.32 MYR 13.46

155.12%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.35 MYR 9.52

28.94%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.74 MYR 3.00

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.34 MYR 1.36

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$4.36 MYR 17.69

-42.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.33 MYR 21.63

-31.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.88 MYR 7.62

15.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.12 MYR 4.55

69.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.42 MYR 5.78

54.93%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.91 MYR 7.74

16.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$22.25 MYR 90.2

-10.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.85 MYR 19.66

-24.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.66 MYR 43.22

24.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.03 MYR 16.36

-19.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.77 MYR 7.18

-3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.28 MYR 13.30

-27.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.61 MYR 10.59

-20.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.75 MYR 7.09

-9.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.05 MYR 4.24

40.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.07 MYR 4.33

-3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.52 MYR 2.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.19 MYR 16.97

1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$19.28 MYR 78.2

-2.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$4.45 MYR 18.04

-60.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$5.49 MYR 22.26

-49.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.69 MYR 2.80

97.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$11.70 MYR 47.44

-2.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.16 MYR 4.72

170.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.09 MYR 4.43

-4.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$4.35 MYR 17.66

216.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.49 MYR 2.01

173.47%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$43.2K MYR 175.1K

-35.92%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$31.4K MYR 127.2K

7.97%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$74.7 MYR 303

65.43%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$9.76 MYR 39.58

38.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$28.76 MYR 117

-35.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$36.20 MYR 147

70.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$5.85 MYR 23.72

194.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.80 MYR 23.51

57.59%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$116 MYR 469

507.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,312 MYR 17.5K

268.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$110 MYR 444

-45.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$27.84 MYR 113

25.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$74.4 MYR 302

54.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$79.1 MYR 321

6.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$391 MYR 1,586

58.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$266 MYR 1,079

62.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$638 MYR 2,586

223.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$480 MYR 1,947

214.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,160 MYR 8,758

68.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$824 MYR 3,340

218.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$632 MYR 2,564

-19.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.96

34.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Muar: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $391 in Muar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muar pays 25% 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 $23.00 in Muar. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $313, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Phuket and Muar differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,002 including rent). Muar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Muar earns 25% 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 $391 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 3% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $116 in Muar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,002 in Muar versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 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 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 Muar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.