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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $830 in Putrajaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,234 in Putrajaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,638 in Putrajaya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 48% more expensive than in Putrajaya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Putrajaya 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.78 MYR 15.45

16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$19.96 MYR 81.5

61.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.89 MYR 15.89

129.56%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.94 MYR 12.00

-1.36%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.80 MYR 3.28

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.39 MYR 1.61

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.59 MYR 14.65

-34.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.65 MYR 18.99

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.75 MYR 7.16

6.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.10 MYR 4.47

33.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.44 MYR 5.88

7.64%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.73 MYR 7.08

21.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.69 MYR 31.39

154.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.56 MYR 18.62

-25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.95 MYR 40.61

14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.48 MYR 10.13

20.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.57 MYR 6.43

7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.25 MYR 9.19

-1.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.67 MYR 6.83

29.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.38 MYR 5.62

10.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.43 MYR 5.83

-6.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.31 MYR 5.37

-13.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.51 MYR 2.08

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.21 MYR 17.20

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$13.26 MYR 54.1

43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.95 MYR 12.06

-39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.15 MYR 12.84

-11.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.77 MYR 3.15

189.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$12.34 MYR 50.4

84.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.01 MYR 4.14

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.47 MYR 1.94

117.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$9.97 MYR 40.71

-60.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.70 MYR 2.84

112.86%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$41.7K MYR 170.1K

-36.21%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$33.9K MYR 138.3K

-20.21%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$53.1 MYR 217

93.01%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$11.26 MYR 45.97

0.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$23.15 MYR 94.5

-24.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$34.95 MYR 143

49.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$9.53 MYR 38.91

16.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.03 MYR 20.53

52.88%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$514 MYR 2,099

9.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,473 MYR 18.3K

157.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$66.0 MYR 269

-4.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$16.57 MYR 67.7

78.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$82.0 MYR 335

19.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$85.0 MYR 347

4.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$350 MYR 1,428

111.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$225 MYR 920

114.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$650 MYR 2,653

224.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$362 MYR 1,478

238.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,705 MYR 11.0K

33.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,786 MYR 7,292

45.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,047 MYR 4,276

-52.88%

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 Putrajaya: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $350 in Putrajaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putrajaya pays 112% 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 $20.00 in Putrajaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $222 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, Getting Around. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 112% lower in Putrajaya. 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 $350 in Putrajaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $514 in Putrajaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $830 in Putrajaya versus $1,232 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 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.