Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puchong Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puchong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $822 in Puchong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,270 in Puchong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,718 in Puchong.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than in Puchong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Puchong 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.62 MYR 14.80

25.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$18.89 MYR 77.2

144.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.62 MYR 18.89

91.34%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.86 MYR 11.69

6.99%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.81 MYR 3.29

-9.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.52 MYR 2.14

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$4.35 MYR 17.81

-44.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.76 MYR 23.54

-34.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.92 MYR 7.83

17.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.00 MYR 4.11

81.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.28 MYR 5.25

75.78%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.81 MYR 7.39

24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$11.05 MYR 45.18

76.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.52 MYR 18.48

-19.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.54 MYR 34.91

52.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.90 MYR 11.88

11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.97 MYR 3.98

67.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.72 MYR 11.11

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.53 MYR 6.24

32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.31 MYR 5.34

16.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.41 MYR 5.76

6.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.03 MYR 4.22

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.59 MYR 2.40

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.12 MYR 16.87

7.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$14.68 MYR 60.0

24.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.92 MYR 11.93

-36.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$3.00 MYR 12.29

-10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.68 MYR 2.78

107.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$11.59 MYR 47.42

0.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.21 MYR 4.95

157.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.02 MYR 4.18

1.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.59 MYR 18.77

207.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.46 MYR 1.89

184.78%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.8K MYR 81.0K

40.44%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.3K MYR 107.6K

26.31%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$45.36 MYR 186

169.93%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.63 MYR 39.39

41.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$25.76 MYR 105

-27.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$37.29 MYR 153

62.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$7.21 MYR 29.47

135.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.96 MYR 20.28

82.86%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$185 MYR 756

281.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$9,367 MYR 38.3K

68.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$58.7 MYR 240

-0.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$36.62 MYR 150

-3.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$83.4 MYR 341

38.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$70.2 MYR 287

19.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$273 MYR 1,118

128.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$212 MYR 868

109.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$656 MYR 2,684

210.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$429 MYR 1,756

247.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,038 MYR 8,337

70.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,173 MYR 4,796

119.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,323 MYR 5,410

-62.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.47

19.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Puchong: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $273 in Puchong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puchong pays 165% 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 $19.00 in Puchong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $230 per month, with Puchong cheaper across the board.

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 Puchong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puchong is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 165% lower in Puchong. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $273 in Puchong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $185 in Puchong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $822 in Puchong versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puchong but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puchong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puchong 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 Puchong 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 Puchong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.