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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $999 in Selangor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,432 in Selangor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,865 in Selangor.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than in Selangor, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.55 MYR 10.42

78.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$23.88 MYR 97.7

93.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.73 MYR 15.26

137.00%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.30 MYR 9.40

33.04%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.77 MYR 3.17

-5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.36 MYR 1.48

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$4.22 MYR 17.27

-42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.38 MYR 22.00

-29.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.81 MYR 7.39

24.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.01 MYR 4.15

79.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.50 MYR 6.12

50.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.88 MYR 7.70

19.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$14.38 MYR 58.8

35.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.68 MYR 19.14

-22.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.88 MYR 40.41

32.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.00 MYR 12.27

7.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.56 MYR 6.40

3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.73 MYR 11.18

-12.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.45 MYR 5.94

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.28 MYR 5.22

19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.01 MYR 4.11

48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.13 MYR 4.63

-13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.51 MYR 2.10

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.33 MYR 17.71

2.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$19.24 MYR 78.7

-4.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$3.35 MYR 13.68

-44.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$4.26 MYR 17.41

-37.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.68 MYR 2.80

107.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$11.85 MYR 48.46

-1.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.16 MYR 4.75

168.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.10 MYR 4.51

-5.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.35 MYR 17.77

224.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.50 MYR 2.05

162.00%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$40.5K MYR 165.5K

-31.24%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$30.8K MYR 125.9K

7.91%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$64.9 MYR 265

88.72%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.99 MYR 40.88

36.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$25.88 MYR 106

-27.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$38.38 MYR 157

57.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$7.27 MYR 29.74

133.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.17 MYR 21.13

75.44%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$116 MYR 476

507.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,342 MYR 17.8K

263.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$60.9 MYR 249

-3.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$36.78 MYR 150

-3.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$74.9 MYR 306

54.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$78.8 MYR 322

6.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$449 MYR 1,838

39.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$351 MYR 1,437

26.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$834 MYR 3,413

144.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$472 MYR 1,930

216.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,583 MYR 6,473

120.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$707 MYR 2,891

264.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,047 MYR 4,284

-52.27%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Selangor: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $449 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 110% 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 $24.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 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 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 110% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $449 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $116 in Selangor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $999 in Selangor versus $1,250 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.