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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $888 in Putra Heights.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,341 in Putra Heights.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,794 in Putra Heights.

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than Putra Heights, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Putra Heights 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.64 MYR 14.51

29.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$19.10 MYR 76.2

137.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.60 MYR 18.36

83.26%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.01 MYR 12.02

-2.66%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.83 MYR 3.32

-16.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.45 MYR 1.81

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.20 MYR 16.74

-42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.81 MYR 23.18

-35.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.80 MYR 7.20

23.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.98 MYR 3.91

86.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.23 MYR 4.92

76.42%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.82 MYR 7.26

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.43 MYR 57.6

36.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.75 MYR 18.94

-23.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.40 MYR 37.52

43.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.95 MYR 11.76

11.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.53 MYR 6.12

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.64 MYR 10.53

-8.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.48 MYR 5.89

40.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.23 MYR 4.92

24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.34 MYR 5.36

10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.16 MYR 4.62

-14.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.53 MYR 2.10

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.12 MYR 16.46

7.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$14.41 MYR 57.5

34.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.88 MYR 11.50

-38.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.89 MYR 11.53

-6.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.73 MYR 2.93

87.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$11.83 MYR 47.19

-3.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.15 MYR 4.60

162.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.98 MYR 3.92

1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.84 MYR 19.30

191.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.49 MYR 1.96

177.55%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$35.6K MYR 142.0K

-20.77%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.4K MYR 129.4K

1.47%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$63.4 MYR 253

91.96%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$9.10 MYR 36.31

49.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$25.15 MYR 100

-27.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$36.34 MYR 145

65.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.75 MYR 22.94

198.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.26 MYR 20.98

65.21%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$191 MYR 763

262.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$6,843 MYR 27.3K

129.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$60.2 MYR 240

-1.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$19.06 MYR 76.1

82.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$74.0 MYR 295

54.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$40.20 MYR 160

107.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$382 MYR 1,525

60.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$266 MYR 1,061

64.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$638 MYR 2,547

228.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$467 MYR 1,862

223.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,696 MYR 6,766

121.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$880 MYR 3,513

197.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,141 MYR 4,552

-55.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.07

30.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Putra Heights: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $382 in Putra Heights. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putra Heights pays 125% 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 $19.00 in Putra Heights for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $244 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Putra Heights earns 125% 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 $382 in Putra Heights. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $191 in Putra Heights. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $888 in Putra Heights versus $1,265 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 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.