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 $813 in Putrajaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,223 in Putrajaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,633 in Putrajaya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than Putrajaya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Putrajaya 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.61 MYR 14.24

28.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$19.11 MYR 75.5

145.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.58 MYR 18.11

93.01%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.02 MYR 11.94

-0.66%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.76 MYR 2.99

-2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.38 MYR 1.49

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.56 MYR 14.07

-31.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.47 MYR 17.64

-19.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.65 MYR 6.52

36.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.80 MYR 3.15

130.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.24 MYR 4.91

80.65%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.80 MYR 7.11

28.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.41 MYR 25.33

206.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.43 MYR 17.48

-17.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.28 MYR 36.67

41.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.16 MYR 12.48

7.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.34 MYR 5.29

22.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.14 MYR 12.42

-23.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.61 MYR 6.38

26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.50 MYR 5.94

4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.80 MYR 7.11

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.64 MYR 6.47

-37.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.56 MYR 2.23

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.16 MYR 16.43

6.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$14.83 MYR 58.6

27.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.85 MYR 11.25

-37.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.92 MYR 11.53

-5.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.69 MYR 2.71

102.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$11.86 MYR 46.86

-3.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.90 MYR 3.56

246.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.02 MYR 4.05

-1.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.76 MYR 22.73

144.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.50 MYR 1.98

170.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$35.9K MYR 141.7K

-24.21%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$38.0K MYR 149.9K

-13.26%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$46.05 MYR 182

171.40%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$9.11 MYR 36.00

48.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$22.53 MYR 89.0

-17.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$37.33 MYR 147

64.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$8.78 MYR 34.70

91.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.89 MYR 19.33

87.93%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$187 MYR 740

272.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,902 MYR 27.3K

125.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$65.5 MYR 259

-11.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$18.86 MYR 74.5

86.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$73.7 MYR 291

53.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$40.66 MYR 161

112.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$344 MYR 1,357

79.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$236 MYR 932

88.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$640 MYR 2,528

220.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$373 MYR 1,474

299.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,097 MYR 8,282

80.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,496 MYR 5,908

77.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,283 MYR 5,068

-59.18%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Putrajaya: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $344 in Putrajaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putrajaya pays 145% 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 $292 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Putrajaya earns 145% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $344 in Putrajaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $187 in Putrajaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $813 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 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.