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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $961 in Serdang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,466 in Serdang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,971 in Serdang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than Serdang, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Serdang 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$4.59 MYR 18.61

-0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$28.00 MYR 114

66.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$4.58 MYR 18.59

84.93%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.97 MYR 12.04

2.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$0.90 MYR 3.67

-23.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.53 MYR 2.14

-30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$4.23 MYR 17.16

-41.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$5.74 MYR 23.28

-36.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$2.01 MYR 8.17

8.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$1.00 MYR 4.06

90.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.72 MYR 6.97

27.91%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$2.28 MYR 9.24

-2.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$14.54 MYR 59.0

37.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$4.58 MYR 18.58

-20.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$9.72 MYR 39.44

36.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.95 MYR 11.96

9.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.56 MYR 6.31

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$2.71 MYR 11.01

-11.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.52 MYR 6.16

36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$1.23 MYR 5.00

29.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$1.33 MYR 5.40

11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.22 MYR 4.95

-15.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.63 MYR 2.54

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$4.23 MYR 17.15

0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$19.36 MYR 78.6

-2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$3.29 MYR 13.36

-46.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$4.43 MYR 17.98

-37.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.73 MYR 2.97

86.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$11.97 MYR 48.58

-5.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$1.21 MYR 4.91

159.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$1.14 MYR 4.61

-8.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$4.76 MYR 19.31

189.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$0.47 MYR 1.91

185.11%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$39.3K MYR 159.5K

-29.58%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$32.2K MYR 130.5K

5.30%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$64.3 MYR 261

92.33%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$11.29 MYR 45.83

19.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$26.07 MYR 106

-28.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$36.72 MYR 149

68.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$5.95 MYR 24.13

189.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$5.21 MYR 21.14

75.43%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$266 MYR 1,079

164.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$9,356 MYR 38.0K

69.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$59.7 MYR 242

-0.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$37.67 MYR 153

-6.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$84.4 MYR 342

36.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$79.9 MYR 324

5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$380 MYR 1,542

62.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$266 MYR 1,078

62.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$654 MYR 2,655

215.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$474 MYR 1,923

218.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$1,999 MYR 8,111

82.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$986 MYR 4,002

166.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$1,002 MYR 4,068

-49.42%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Serdang: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $380 in Serdang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serdang 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Serdang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $267 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 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Serdang 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: $619 in Phuket versus $380 in Serdang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $266 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 $961 in Serdang versus $1,261 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 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.