Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rawang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rawang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $737 in Rawang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,202 in Rawang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,666 in Rawang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than in Rawang, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Rawang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.66 MYR 14.89

27.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$19.88 MYR 80.9

62.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.01 MYR 20.36

73.25%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.96 MYR 12.02

-2.03%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.85 MYR 3.44

-1.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.36 MYR 1.48

36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$4.16 MYR 16.91

-40.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.38 MYR 17.82

-14.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.84 MYR 7.51

2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.11 MYR 4.52

27.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.71 MYR 6.95

-5.26%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.13 MYR 8.68

5.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$16.09 MYR 65.5

23.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.99 MYR 20.31

-30.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.73 MYR 39.56

16.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.99 MYR 12.16

-3.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.93 MYR 7.84

-10.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.51 MYR 10.21

-9.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.53 MYR 6.21

39.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.32 MYR 5.36

11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.40 MYR 5.68

1.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.18 MYR 4.79

-6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.57 MYR 2.33

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.43 MYR 18.04

-2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$19.09 MYR 77.7

-2.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$3.02 MYR 12.30

-40.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$4.16 MYR 16.93

-28.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.71 MYR 2.89

216.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$12.22 MYR 49.72

92.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.72 MYR 7.01

80.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.41 MYR 1.68

163.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$6.92 MYR 28.16

-44.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.81 MYR 3.31

76.54%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$42.4K MYR 172.3K

-34.39%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$34.7K MYR 141.1K

-22.20%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$38.27 MYR 156

173.84%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$9.99 MYR 40.62

14.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$30.48 MYR 124

-42.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$40.42 MYR 164

34.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$6.55 MYR 26.64

74.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.54 MYR 22.55

40.43%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$308 MYR 1,252

87.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$10.9K MYR 44.4K

6.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$61.7 MYR 251

3.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$35.16 MYR 143

-17.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$85.3 MYR 347

12.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$70.4 MYR 286

27.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$143 MYR 580

414.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$104 MYR 422

383.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$594 MYR 2,415

258.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$239 MYR 974

423.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,056 MYR 8,366

71.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,114 MYR 4,530

135.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,018 MYR 4,143

-50.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.24

31.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Rawang: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $143 in Rawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rawang pays 101% 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 Rawang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $271 per month, with Rawang 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 Rawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rawang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Rawang. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $143 in Rawang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $308 in Rawang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $737 in Rawang versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rawang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rawang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rawang 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 Rawang 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 Rawang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.