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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,000 in Muar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,508 in Muar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,016 in Muar.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Muar 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.65 MYR 10.81

69.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$23.99 MYR 98.0

90.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.23 MYR 13.18

171.21%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.32 MYR 9.47

28.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.74 MYR 3.00

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.36 MYR 1.48

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$4.29 MYR 17.51

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$5.39 MYR 22.01

-30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.85 MYR 7.54

16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.08 MYR 4.40

68.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.48 MYR 6.06

47.30%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.89 MYR 7.73

19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$22.49 MYR 91.8

-11.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.97 MYR 20.31

-26.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.67 MYR 43.55

27.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.91 MYR 15.95

-17.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.73 MYR 7.05

-5.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.31 MYR 13.51

-29.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.54 MYR 10.36

-18.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.70 MYR 6.95

-8.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.00 MYR 4.06

46.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.08 MYR 4.42

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.52 MYR 2.12

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.15 MYR 16.94

4.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$18.56 MYR 75.8

0.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$4.33 MYR 17.70

-57.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$5.43 MYR 22.16

-51.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.74 MYR 3.04

91.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$11.87 MYR 48.48

-2.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.16 MYR 4.74

173.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.09 MYR 4.45

-5.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$4.39 MYR 17.91

216.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.50 MYR 2.05

168.00%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$44.3K MYR 180.9K

-37.28%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$31.4K MYR 128.3K

6.22%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$74.5 MYR 304

65.21%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$9.92 MYR 40.49

38.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$28.49 MYR 116

-35.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$37.05 MYR 151

63.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$5.93 MYR 24.22

189.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.64 MYR 23.01

57.27%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$116 MYR 476

490.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,285 MYR 17.5K

268.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$109 MYR 444

-45.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$27.51 MYR 112

26.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$76.3 MYR 312

50.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$79.4 MYR 324

5.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$389 MYR 1,590

59.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$272 MYR 1,110

64.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$646 MYR 2,637

214.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$467 MYR 1,906

220.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,950 MYR 7,963

77.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,129 MYR 4,609

124.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$608 MYR 2,483

-18.83%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Muar: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $389 in Muar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muar pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Muar. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $310, 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 ($1,264 vs $1,000 including rent). Muar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Muar. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $389 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 $688 in Phuket versus $116 in Muar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,000 in Muar versus $1,264 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.