Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Putrajaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Putrajaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $814 in Putrajaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,208 in Putrajaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,602 in Putrajaya.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.47 MYR 14.08

31.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$19.15 MYR 77.7

143.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.66 MYR 18.89

81.76%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.86 MYR 11.61

5.94%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.74 MYR 3.01

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.37 MYR 1.50

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$3.56 MYR 14.42

-30.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.54 MYR 18.41

-19.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.74 MYR 7.04

25.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.79 MYR 3.22

140.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.26 MYR 5.10

74.60%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.84 MYR 7.45

20.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.50 MYR 26.36

207.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.43 MYR 17.96

-17.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.40 MYR 38.11

40.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.22 MYR 13.07

0.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.34 MYR 5.44

26.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.10 MYR 12.58

-22.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.56 MYR 6.32

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.53 MYR 6.20

3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.82 MYR 7.38

-18.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.58 MYR 6.41

-34.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.52 MYR 2.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.36 MYR 17.66

-2.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$14.31 MYR 58.0

31.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.76 MYR 11.18

-36.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.93 MYR 11.89

-5.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.68 MYR 2.75

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$11.59 MYR 46.99

-1.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.92 MYR 3.74

241.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.02 MYR 4.15

1.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$5.81 MYR 23.56

137.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.49 MYR 2.00

173.47%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$35.0K MYR 141.9K

-20.93%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$38.1K MYR 154.4K

-11.08%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$46.17 MYR 187

167.68%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.82 MYR 35.76

53.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$22.27 MYR 90.3

-16.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$38.22 MYR 155

61.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$8.96 MYR 36.35

92.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.92 MYR 19.95

85.77%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$188 MYR 762

273.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,937 MYR 28.1K

128.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$63.6 MYR 258

-6.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$18.96 MYR 76.9

84.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$73.2 MYR 297

57.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$40.18 MYR 163

109.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$337 MYR 1,368

83.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$235 MYR 954

83.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$637 MYR 2,583

223.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$373 MYR 1,511

305.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,047 MYR 8,299

78.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,452 MYR 5,887

80.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,266 MYR 5,135

-59.96%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Putrajaya: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $337 in Putrajaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putrajaya pays 150% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Putrajaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $221 per month, with Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Putrajaya is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Putrajaya earns 150% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $337 in Putrajaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $188 in Putrajaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $814 in Putrajaya versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Putrajaya but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Putrajaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya 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.