Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Serdang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Serdang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $954 in Serdang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,476 in Serdang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,999 in Serdang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than Serdang, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Serdang 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$4.75 MYR 18.76

-1.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$28.11 MYR 111

65.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$4.75 MYR 18.77

82.74%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$3.13 MYR 12.38

-5.75%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.89 MYR 3.52

-21.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.49 MYR 1.95

-20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$4.20 MYR 16.61

-39.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$5.81 MYR 22.93

-34.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.99 MYR 7.87

11.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.01 MYR 3.97

78.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.66 MYR 6.57

31.93%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.27 MYR 8.98

1.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$14.39 MYR 56.9

34.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.54 MYR 17.92

-16.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$9.90 MYR 39.10

33.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.93 MYR 11.59

13.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.56 MYR 6.15

5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$2.58 MYR 10.19

-11.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.50 MYR 5.93

32.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.26 MYR 4.98

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.34 MYR 5.29

12.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.17 MYR 4.62

-11.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.63 MYR 2.47

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$4.33 MYR 17.11

1.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$18.88 MYR 74.6

2.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$3.38 MYR 13.35

-46.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$4.24 MYR 16.74

-36.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.73 MYR 2.86

95.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$11.63 MYR 45.95

0.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.16 MYR 4.58

162.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$1.13 MYR 4.46

-7.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$4.73 MYR 18.70

189.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.47 MYR 1.87

176.60%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$39.6K MYR 156.5K

-29.59%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$32.5K MYR 128.3K

1.71%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$63.6 MYR 251

93.35%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$11.46 MYR 45.27

20.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$25.65 MYR 101

-26.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$36.54 MYR 144

67.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$5.71 MYR 22.57

194.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$5.10 MYR 20.16

73.92%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$268 MYR 1,060

159.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$9,273 MYR 36.6K

73.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$60.6 MYR 239

-2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$37.32 MYR 147

-6.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$84.6 MYR 334

33.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$81.4 MYR 322

4.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$391 MYR 1,546

57.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$265 MYR 1,046

69.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$645 MYR 2,549

223.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$464 MYR 1,835

222.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,812 MYR 7,157

106.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,012 MYR 3,999

162.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$1,031 MYR 4,073

-48.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.47

19.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Serdang: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $391 in Serdang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serdang pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $28 in Serdang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $265 per month, with Serdang 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 Serdang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Serdang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Serdang earns 93% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $391 in Serdang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $268 in Serdang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $954 in Serdang versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Serdang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Serdang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Serdang 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 Serdang 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 Serdang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.