Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Selangor Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Selangor

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,027 in Selangor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,483 in Selangor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,938 in Selangor.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than in Selangor, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Selangor 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.22 MYR 17.23

4.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$19.63 MYR 80.2

64.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.00 MYR 16.34

123.25%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.19 MYR 8.96

32.42%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.87 MYR 3.55

1.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.46 MYR 1.89

4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$4.50 MYR 18.39

-47.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$5.10 MYR 20.80

-27.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.91 MYR 7.81

-2.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.10 MYR 4.50

33.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.51 MYR 6.15

2.65%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.91 MYR 7.78

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$15.50 MYR 63.3

26.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.82 MYR 19.70

-29.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.82 MYR 40.10

15.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.35 MYR 13.67

-11.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.84 MYR 7.51

-8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.44 MYR 9.96

-9.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.58 MYR 6.47

36.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.36 MYR 5.57

11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.09 MYR 4.44

22.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.14 MYR 4.65

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.54 MYR 2.20

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.34 MYR 17.72

-1.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$19.04 MYR 77.7

0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$3.38 MYR 13.80

-47.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$4.99 MYR 20.37

-44.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.25 MYR 5.10

78.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$12.26 MYR 50.1

85.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.25 MYR 5.10

142.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.26 MYR 5.14

-19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$4.51 MYR 18.39

-13.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.66 MYR 2.70

125.76%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$42.4K MYR 173.1K

-37.33%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$35.0K MYR 142.9K

-22.78%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$65.2 MYR 266

57.21%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$9.10 MYR 37.15

24.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$25.81 MYR 105

-32.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$40.42 MYR 165

28.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$7.22 MYR 29.49

53.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.30 MYR 21.64

45.09%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$124 MYR 505

353.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,373 MYR 30.1K

56.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$73.2 MYR 299

-13.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$42.30 MYR 173

-30.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$77.8 MYR 317

26.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$81.6 MYR 333

8.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$504 MYR 2,059

46.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$346 MYR 1,414

39.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$881 MYR 3,597

139.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$485 MYR 1,979

152.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,559 MYR 6,364

132.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$712 MYR 2,906

265.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,045 MYR 4,266

-52.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.96

40.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Selangor: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $504 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 112% 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 Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $272 per month, with Selangor 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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selangor is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 112% lower in Selangor. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $504 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $124 in Selangor. 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 $1,027 in Selangor versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Selangor 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 Selangor 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 Selangor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.