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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $998 in Muar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,503 in Muar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,008 in Muar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than Muar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Muar 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.63 MYR 10.41

76.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$23.17 MYR 91.5

102.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.36 MYR 13.26

163.10%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.33 MYR 9.19

28.76%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.78 MYR 3.09

-5.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.34 MYR 1.34

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$4.16 MYR 16.44

-41.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$5.51 MYR 21.78

-34.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.91 MYR 7.53

18.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.13 MYR 4.45

62.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.42 MYR 5.60

57.75%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.90 MYR 7.52

22.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$22.60 MYR 89.3

-12.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.86 MYR 19.20

-24.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.44 MYR 41.24

25.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.90 MYR 15.40

-13.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.71 MYR 6.74

-4.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.30 MYR 13.05

-26.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.53 MYR 10.00

-19.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.70 MYR 6.73

-8.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.04 MYR 4.10

44.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.08 MYR 4.28

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.56 MYR 2.19

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.21 MYR 16.64

5.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$18.68 MYR 73.8

1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$4.26 MYR 16.82

-58.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$5.66 MYR 22.34

-51.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.68 MYR 2.69

105.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$12.00 MYR 47.40

-4.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.17 MYR 4.62

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.14 MYR 4.51

-12.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.33 MYR 17.09

225.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.46 MYR 1.83

193.48%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$42.9K MYR 169.3K

-36.59%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.1K MYR 122.8K

5.90%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$74.5 MYR 294

67.87%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$9.46 MYR 37.37

43.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$28.28 MYR 112

-34.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$36.60 MYR 145

67.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.80 MYR 22.90

190.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.68 MYR 22.42

61.80%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$118 MYR 464

494.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,393 MYR 17.4K

254.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$111 MYR 440

-48.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$27.19 MYR 107

29.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$75.7 MYR 299

49.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$78.5 MYR 310

10.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$380 MYR 1,500

62.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$265 MYR 1,047

68.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$657 MYR 2,595

211.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$480 MYR 1,897

210.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,635 MYR 6,460

131.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$903 MYR 3,569

193.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$645 MYR 2,548

-18.79%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Muar: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $380 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Muar. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $311, 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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $998 including rent). Muar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Muar earns 23% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $380 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 5% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $118 in Muar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $998 in Muar versus $1,232 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.