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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,008 in Selangor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,449 in Selangor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,890 in Selangor.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than Selangor, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Selangor 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.56 MYR 10.22

83.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$23.14 MYR 92.3

96.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.74 MYR 14.94

125.40%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.23 MYR 8.89

31.39%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.77 MYR 3.08

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.33 MYR 1.33

12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.19 MYR 16.73

-42.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.33 MYR 21.28

-30.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.83 MYR 7.31

21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.01 MYR 4.02

81.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.45 MYR 5.78

49.66%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.83 MYR 7.28

20.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.43 MYR 57.6

36.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.66 MYR 18.57

-22.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.83 MYR 39.22

37.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.87 MYR 11.45

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.64 MYR 6.56

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.69 MYR 10.72

-10.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.51 MYR 6.02

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.27 MYR 5.06

20.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.99 MYR 3.96

49.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.08 MYR 4.31

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.54 MYR 2.17

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.32 MYR 17.22

2.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$19.54 MYR 78.0

-0.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.37 MYR 13.44

-47.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$4.26 MYR 16.99

-36.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.74 MYR 2.96

85.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$11.61 MYR 46.33

-1.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.21 MYR 4.82

149.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.10 MYR 4.40

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.38 MYR 17.49

221.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.46 MYR 1.85

195.65%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$39.3K MYR 156.8K

-28.24%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.9K MYR 127.3K

3.13%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$65.4 MYR 261

86.03%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$9.48 MYR 37.82

43.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$25.69 MYR 102

-28.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$38.55 MYR 154

56.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$7.29 MYR 29.09

135.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.20 MYR 20.75

67.12%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$117 MYR 465

494.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$4,384 MYR 17.5K

257.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$59.8 MYR 239

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$36.96 MYR 147

-5.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$75.1 MYR 299

52.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$78.9 MYR 315

5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$441 MYR 1,760

38.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$348 MYR 1,388

25.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$849 MYR 3,386

146.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$472 MYR 1,882

219.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,659 MYR 6,618

126.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$726 MYR 2,897

260.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,004 MYR 4,006

-49.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.96

34.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Selangor: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $441 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 98% 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 $23.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $261 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 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Selangor earns 98% 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 $441 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $117 in Selangor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,008 in Selangor versus $1,265 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 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.