Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Putra Heights Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Putra Heights

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $950 in Putra Heights.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,391 in Putra Heights.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,832 in Putra Heights.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Putra Heights, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Putra Heights 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.65 MYR 14.95

20.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$21.70 MYR 88.8

48.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$4.93 MYR 20.19

81.14%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.86 MYR 11.70

1.40%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.84 MYR 3.46

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.44 MYR 1.81

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$4.45 MYR 18.21

-47.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$6.11 MYR 25.02

-39.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.76 MYR 7.22

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.07 MYR 4.38

37.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.44 MYR 5.90

7.64%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.74 MYR 7.12

20.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$15.73 MYR 64.4

24.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.53 MYR 18.56

-24.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$9.58 MYR 39.20

18.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$3.45 MYR 14.13

-13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.67 MYR 6.83

0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.41 MYR 9.87

-8.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.60 MYR 6.55

35.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.36 MYR 5.59

11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.44 MYR 5.89

-6.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.17 MYR 4.77

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.51 MYR 2.11

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.31 MYR 17.66

-1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$13.99 MYR 57.3

36.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.98 MYR 12.21

-40.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.99 MYR 12.25

-7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.72 MYR 2.95

209.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$12.09 MYR 49.49

88.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.26 MYR 5.16

140.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.78 MYR 3.17

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$4.96 MYR 20.30

-21.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.82 MYR 3.35

81.71%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$42.4K MYR 173.4K

-37.27%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$35.0K MYR 143.4K

-22.87%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$65.1 MYR 266

57.48%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$9.41 MYR 38.52

20.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$26.20 MYR 107

-33.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$41.09 MYR 168

26.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$7.58 MYR 31.02

46.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.39 MYR 22.08

42.67%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$165 MYR 676

239.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$5,404 MYR 22.1K

112.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$65.5 MYR 268

-3.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$16.47 MYR 67.4

79.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$82.1 MYR 336

19.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$40.65 MYR 166

117.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$408 MYR 1,669

81.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$319 MYR 1,307

51.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$673 MYR 2,753

213.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$483 MYR 1,975

154.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$1,986 MYR 8,129

82.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,234 MYR 5,051

110.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,103 MYR 4,514

-55.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.06

37.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Putra Heights: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $408 in Putra Heights. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putra Heights pays 123% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Putra Heights for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $251 per month, with Putra Heights 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 Putra Heights: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Putra Heights is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 123% lower in Putra Heights. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $408 in Putra Heights. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $165 in Putra Heights. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $950 in Putra Heights versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Putra Heights but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Putra Heights the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Putra Heights 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 Putra Heights 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 Putra Heights gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.