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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $796 in Putrajaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,205 in Putrajaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,614 in Putrajaya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than in Putrajaya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Putrajaya 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.56 MYR 14.53

25.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,522

$18.70 MYR 76.4

143.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.58 MYR 18.70

91.27%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$2.86 MYR 11.69

3.85%

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

$0.69 ฿22.92

$0.80 MYR 3.26

-13.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.37 MYR 1.52

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$3.45 MYR 14.08

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.39 MYR 17.94

-14.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.67 MYR 6.82

28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.83 MYR 3.41

119.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$1.28 MYR 5.25

70.31%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$1.88 MYR 7.68

19.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$6.57 MYR 26.81

204.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.31 MYR 17.60

-15.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$9.23 MYR 37.67

46.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.21 MYR 13.12

0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.38 MYR 5.64

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$3.11 MYR 12.69

-25.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$1.55 MYR 6.32

33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.52 MYR 6.19

1.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.58

$1.73 MYR 7.07

-15.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.88

$1.66 MYR 6.77

-40.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.52 MYR 2.12

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.27 MYR 17.43

1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$13.30 MYR 54.3

39.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$2.84 MYR 11.58

-34.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$2.87 MYR 11.73

-7.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.32

$0.72 MYR 2.94

97.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$11.84 MYR 48.33

-2.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.98 MYR 3.99

223.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.45

$0.98 MYR 4.01

5.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$6.02 MYR 24.57

130.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.88

$0.46 MYR 1.89

191.30%

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

$27.8K ฿927.9K

$35.7K MYR 145.7K

-22.12%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$37.9K MYR 154.8K

-11.98%

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

$123 ฿4,109

$45.30 MYR 185

171.63%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$9.28 MYR 37.88

48.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$22.62 MYR 92.4

-18.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,026

$38.22 MYR 156

58.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$9.01 MYR 36.80

90.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.09 MYR 20.78

74.26%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$186 MYR 759

270.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.9K

$6,832 MYR 27.9K

130.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,980

$66.0 MYR 269

-10.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,158

$19.02 MYR 77.6

82.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,846

$73.8 MYR 301

56.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,797

$39.92 MYR 163

109.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$342 MYR 1,396

81.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$235 MYR 959

89.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$620 MYR 2,533

227.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$380 MYR 1,552

293.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$2,685 MYR 11.0K

28.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$1,803 MYR 7,364

40.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,041 MYR 4,251

-52.58%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Putrajaya: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $342 in Putrajaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putrajaya pays 111% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Putrajaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $219 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 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 111% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $342 in Putrajaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $186 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 $796 in Putrajaya versus $1,264 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 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.