Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Semenyih Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Semenyih

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $905 in Semenyih.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,367 in Semenyih.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,830 in Semenyih.

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than Semenyih, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Semenyih 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.55 MYR 14.42

28.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$19.04 MYR 77.3

144.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$4.67 MYR 18.95

81.37%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$3.02 MYR 12.24

0.33%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$0.61 MYR 2.48

13.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.48 MYR 1.95

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$4.83 MYR 19.61

-48.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$6.51 MYR 26.43

-43.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.83 MYR 7.43

19.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.99 MYR 4.03

91.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.28 MYR 5.20

71.88%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$1.87 MYR 7.59

18.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$15.26 MYR 61.9

31.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$5.00 MYR 20.30

-26.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$11.43 MYR 46.39

15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$3.66 MYR 14.83

-11.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.47 MYR 5.98

15.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$2.58 MYR 10.49

-7.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.03 MYR 8.24

2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$1.50 MYR 6.10

6.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$1.74 MYR 7.05

-14.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.32 MYR 5.37

-21.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.52 MYR 2.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$4.19 MYR 17.02

1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$14.34 MYR 58.2

31.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$2.76 MYR 11.21

-36.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$2.92 MYR 11.85

-5.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.68 MYR 2.76

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$11.81 MYR 47.93

-3.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$1.38 MYR 5.59

127.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.70 MYR 2.84

48.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$5.76 MYR 23.36

139.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$0.47 MYR 1.90

185.11%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$34.8K MYR 141.2K

-20.46%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$38.8K MYR 157.5K

-12.78%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$45.87 MYR 186

169.44%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$9.32 MYR 37.81

45.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$31.37 MYR 127

-40.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$37.00 MYR 150

67.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$5.72 MYR 23.21

201.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$4.83 MYR 19.61

89.23%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$188 MYR 762

274.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$7,016 MYR 28.5K

126.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$64.0 MYR 260

-7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$18.78 MYR 76.2

86.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$72.8 MYR 295

58.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$39.75 MYR 161

111.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$394 MYR 1,599

56.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$265 MYR 1,074

63.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$649 MYR 2,632

217.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$467 MYR 1,895

223.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$1,709 MYR 6,936

113.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$847 MYR 3,439

209.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$664 MYR 2,693

-23.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.07

30.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Semenyih: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $394 in Semenyih. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Semenyih pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Semenyih for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $261 per month, with Semenyih 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 Semenyih: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semenyih is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Semenyih earns 31% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $394 in Semenyih. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $188 in Semenyih. 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 $905 in Semenyih versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Semenyih but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Semenyih the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Semenyih 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 Semenyih 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 Semenyih gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.