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 $852 in Rawang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,310 in Rawang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,768 in Rawang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 48% more expensive than Rawang, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Rawang 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.04 MYR 12.05

54.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$21.02 MYR 83.4

115.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.28 MYR 16.99

96.96%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.82 MYR 11.20

3.90%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.91 MYR 3.60

-24.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.34 MYR 1.35

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$4.17 MYR 16.55

-42.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.31 MYR 17.10

-13.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.84 MYR 7.28

21.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.03 MYR 4.08

77.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.72 MYR 6.81

26.16%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.05 MYR 8.11

7.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.67 MYR 58.2

34.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.59 MYR 18.22

-20.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.40 MYR 37.29

43.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.86 MYR 11.35

14.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.50 MYR 5.95

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.71 MYR 10.75

-11.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.46 MYR 5.77

42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.14 MYR 4.54

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.16 MYR 4.62

27.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.92 MYR 3.64

7.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.49 MYR 1.93

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.33 MYR 17.18

1.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$19.73 MYR 78.2

-1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.68 MYR 10.64

-33.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.36 MYR 13.31

-19.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.69 MYR 2.72

98.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$11.68 MYR 46.30

-2.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.73 MYR 2.91

313.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.51 MYR 2.00

94.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.59 MYR 18.19

207.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.51 MYR 2.01

166.67%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$33.9K MYR 134.3K

-16.76%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.2K MYR 108.0K

20.78%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$37.94 MYR 150

220.77%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$10.01 MYR 39.71

35.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$25.40 MYR 101

-27.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$37.31 MYR 148

61.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.79 MYR 22.95

196.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.87 MYR 19.30

78.44%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$235 MYR 934

194.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,161 MYR 24.4K

154.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$55.6 MYR 220

7.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$29.12 MYR 115

19.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$60.4 MYR 240

89.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$51.9 MYR 206

60.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$380 MYR 1,506

61.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$271 MYR 1,076

61.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$635 MYR 2,516

229.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$480 MYR 1,903

214.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,013 MYR 7,981

86.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$962 MYR 3,814

171.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,232 MYR 4,886

-58.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.16

28.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Rawang: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $380 in Rawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rawang pays 143% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Rawang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $255 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 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Rawang earns 143% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $380 in Rawang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $235 in Rawang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $852 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 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.