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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $851 in Rawang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,316 in Rawang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,782 in Rawang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than in Rawang, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.01 MYR 12.30

51.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$20.97 MYR 85.8

120.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.26 MYR 17.41

107.51%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.86 MYR 11.69

6.99%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.86 MYR 3.51

-15.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.33 MYR 1.37

21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$4.32 MYR 17.66

-43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.29 MYR 17.56

-11.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.83 MYR 7.47

23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.99 MYR 4.03

82.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.65 MYR 6.75

36.36%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.15 MYR 8.79

4.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$14.50 MYR 59.3

34.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.62 MYR 18.88

-21.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.47 MYR 38.73

37.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.78 MYR 11.36

16.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.44 MYR 5.88

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.58 MYR 10.55

-7.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.45 MYR 5.93

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.19 MYR 4.85

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.17 MYR 4.77

28.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.89 MYR 3.66

10.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.48 MYR 1.97

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.17 MYR 17.06

6.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$18.87 MYR 77.2

-2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.71 MYR 11.10

-31.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$3.53 MYR 14.45

-24.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.69 MYR 2.84

104.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$11.60 MYR 47.42

0.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.74 MYR 3.04

320.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.54 MYR 2.22

92.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.64 MYR 18.96

204.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.50 MYR 2.06

162.00%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$33.4K MYR 136.7K

-16.79%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.2K MYR 111.3K

22.06%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$38.80 MYR 159

215.57%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.99 MYR 40.86

36.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$26.14 MYR 107

-28.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$37.59 MYR 154

60.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$5.74 MYR 23.49

195.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.86 MYR 19.90

86.63%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$234 MYR 958

201.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,231 MYR 25.5K

153.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$54.4 MYR 222

7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$28.83 MYR 118

22.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$61.2 MYR 250

88.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$51.9 MYR 212

61.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$381 MYR 1,559

64.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$264 MYR 1,082

68.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$649 MYR 2,655

214.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$470 MYR 1,922

217.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,052 MYR 8,395

69.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,134 MYR 4,639

127.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,195 MYR 4,887

-58.17%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Rawang: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $381 in Rawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rawang pays 139% 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 $21.00 in Rawang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $252 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 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 139% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $381 in Rawang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $234 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 $851 in Rawang versus $1,250 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 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.