Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $913 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
Learn more

Penang Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Penang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $913 in Penang.

Phuket $1,278
Penang $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,403 in Penang.

Phuket $2,216
Penang $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,894 in Penang.

Phuket $3,154
Penang $1,894

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than in Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.73 MYR 15.18

19.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$19.91 MYR 81.1

62.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.78 MYR 19.47

84.31%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.98 MYR 12.15

-5.03%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.75 MYR 3.07

16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.37 MYR 1.50

32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$4.06 MYR 16.55

-36.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.38 MYR 17.83

-15.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.86 MYR 7.60

-10.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.08 MYR 4.41

35.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.76 MYR 7.19

-14.77%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.22 MYR 9.04

-5.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$13.46 MYR 54.9

41.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.45 MYR 18.13

-25.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.70 MYR 35.45

25.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.92 MYR 11.89

0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.65 MYR 6.72

2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.61 MYR 10.63

-13.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.40 MYR 5.70

48.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.05 MYR 4.28

43.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.12 MYR 4.55

23.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.10 MYR 4.47

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.59 MYR 2.39

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.69 MYR 19.09

-10.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$19.31 MYR 78.7

-2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.00 MYR 12.24

-39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$5.41 MYR 22.04

-47.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.50 MYR 2.04

190.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$12.03 MYR 49.00

370.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.66 MYR 6.78

81.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.38 MYR 1.54

168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$7.47 MYR 30.44

-50.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.95 MYR 3.85

54.74%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$44.2K MYR 180.1K

-39.41%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$35.8K MYR 145.7K

-25.36%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$36.68 MYR 149

162.68%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$9.56 MYR 38.94

17.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$29.49 MYR 120

-42.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$39.20 MYR 160

71.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$4.85 MYR 19.78

121.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.78 MYR 19.47

56.90%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$398 MYR 1,620

19.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

6.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$60.9 MYR 248

2.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$35.45 MYR 144

-19.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$83.6 MYR 340

12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$70.2 MYR 286

22.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$408 MYR 1,662

75.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$287 MYR 1,170

70.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$698 MYR 2,842

176.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$534 MYR 2,176

167.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$2,117 MYR 8,624

97.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,261 MYR 5,137

141.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$931 MYR 3,795

-46.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.04

37.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Penang

$287 31.5% 41.5% $204

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Penang

$257 28.2% 3.3% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Penang

$76 8.3% 39.2% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Penang

$113 12.3% 7.7% $9.3

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Penang

$113 12.4% 6.8% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Penang

$49 5.3% 40.7% $33

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Penang

$18 1.9% 75.1% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $408 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 85% 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 $20 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $257 per month, with Penang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

05:07 5:07 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

158,336

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Penang 350 km

From you

Phuket
Penang

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 Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 46% 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 $408 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Penang – a meal for two runs $20 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 $913 in Penang – Penang is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Penang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

Expats usually find Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.