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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $817 in Puchong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,276 in Puchong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,736 in Puchong.

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than Puchong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Puchong 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.62 MYR 14.35

29.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$18.50 MYR 73.3

145.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.81 MYR 19.07

75.26%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.02 MYR 11.97

-2.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.78 MYR 3.11

-11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.50 MYR 1.97

-26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$4.36 MYR 17.27

-44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.87 MYR 23.27

-36.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.90 MYR 7.53

17.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.05 MYR 4.17

74.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.28 MYR 5.07

69.53%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.84 MYR 7.28

20.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.45 MYR 45.40

72.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.68 MYR 18.54

-22.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.44 MYR 33.47

60.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.86 MYR 11.35

14.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.02 MYR 4.06

57.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.68 MYR 10.64

-10.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.52 MYR 6.03

36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.35 MYR 5.36

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.35 MYR 5.36

9.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.04 MYR 4.14

-4.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.58 MYR 2.29

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.29 MYR 17.02

2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$14.88 MYR 59.0

30.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.88 MYR 11.41

-38.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.87 MYR 11.38

-5.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.68 MYR 2.71

101.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$11.74 MYR 46.54

-2.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.19 MYR 4.72

153.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.98 MYR 3.89

1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.67 MYR 18.53

201.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.49 MYR 1.94

177.55%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.8K MYR 78.4K

42.55%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.2K MYR 103.8K

25.73%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$46.15 MYR 183

163.71%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.64 MYR 38.23

40.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$25.45 MYR 101

-28.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$36.96 MYR 147

62.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$6.98 MYR 27.67

145.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.10 MYR 20.21

70.39%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$189 MYR 751

266.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$9,482 MYR 37.6K

65.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$59.9 MYR 238

-0.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$36.65 MYR 145

-5.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$82.6 MYR 328

38.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$71.3 MYR 283

16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$276 MYR 1,095

121.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$208 MYR 827

109.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$665 MYR 2,636

214.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$422 MYR 1,673

257.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,658 MYR 6,573

126.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$843 MYR 3,343

210.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,365 MYR 5,411

-62.77%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Puchong: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $276 in Puchong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puchong pays 169% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Puchong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $232 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 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Puchong earns 169% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $276 in Puchong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $189 in Puchong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $817 in Puchong versus $1,265 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 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.