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 $935 in Serdang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,468 in Serdang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,001 in Serdang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 35% more expensive than in Serdang, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Serdang 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$4.77 MYR 19.49

-5.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$28.01 MYR 115

65.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$4.58 MYR 18.71

88.86%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.11 MYR 12.70

-0.64%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$0.90 MYR 3.69

-24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$0.53 MYR 2.18

-30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$4.21 MYR 17.23

-42.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$5.79 MYR 23.68

-34.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.98 MYR 8.10

10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$1.05 MYR 4.28

73.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$1.68 MYR 6.85

29.76%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$2.19 MYR 8.94

2.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$14.82 MYR 60.6

34.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$4.76 MYR 19.48

-23.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$9.63 MYR 39.39

40.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.93 MYR 12.00

12.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.62 MYR 6.63

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$2.63 MYR 10.77

-11.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$1.51 MYR 6.16

34.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.24 MYR 5.06

29.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.39 MYR 5.67

7.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$1.18 MYR 4.81

-14.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.62 MYR 2.54

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$4.26 MYR 17.42

4.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$18.10 MYR 74.0

2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$3.25 MYR 13.30

-44.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$4.20 MYR 17.19

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$0.69 MYR 2.82

105.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$11.73 MYR 47.99

-3.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$1.20 MYR 4.89

157.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.11 MYR 4.52

-6.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$4.68 MYR 19.16

191.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$0.47 MYR 1.91

178.72%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$40.2K MYR 164.3K

-32.12%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$32.0K MYR 130.9K

3.77%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$65.2 MYR 266

89.04%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$11.31 MYR 46.26

22.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$25.32 MYR 104

-26.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$37.04 MYR 151

62.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$5.79 MYR 23.70

190.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$5.08 MYR 20.78

75.00%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$265 MYR 1,086

158.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$9,412 MYR 38.5K

65.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$61.8 MYR 253

-6.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$37.74 MYR 154

-8.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$84.6 MYR 346

35.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$79.2 MYR 324

7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$394 MYR 1,611

56.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$270 MYR 1,105

63.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$644 MYR 2,634

217.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$473 MYR 1,934

218.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$1,889 MYR 7,724

88.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$1,253 MYR 5,124

100.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$965 MYR 3,944

-47.88%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Serdang: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $394 in Serdang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serdang pays 92% 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 $28.00 in Serdang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Serdang. 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: $618 in Phuket versus $394 in Serdang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $265 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 $935 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 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.