Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Seremban Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Seremban

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $771 in Seremban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,194 in Seremban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,617 in Seremban.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than Seremban, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Seremban 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.91 MYR 11.63

61.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$18.56 MYR 74.0

144.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.51 MYR 14.00

140.17%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.67 MYR 10.66

9.74%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.83 MYR 3.31

-16.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.46 MYR 1.82

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.53 MYR 14.07

-31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$6.67 MYR 26.60

-44.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.75 MYR 6.99

27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.94 MYR 3.76

94.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.23 MYR 4.92

76.42%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.86 MYR 7.44

18.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$15.08 MYR 60.2

30.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.12 MYR 16.45

-11.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.33 MYR 33.23

62.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.61 MYR 14.40

-9.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.21 MYR 4.82

33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.62 MYR 10.47

-8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.70 MYR 6.78

22.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.08 MYR 4.29

41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.31 MYR 5.23

12.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.29 MYR 5.13

-23.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.56 MYR 2.25

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.30 MYR 17.16

2.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$14.38 MYR 57.4

34.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.76 MYR 11.00

-35.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$4.20 MYR 16.77

-35.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.10 MYR 4.39

24.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$12.00 MYR 47.89

-5.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.73 MYR 2.90

313.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.88 MYR 3.51

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.62 MYR 18.44

205.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.46 MYR 1.85

195.65%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$49.2K MYR 196.2K

-42.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.4K MYR 133.2K

-1.45%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$37.92 MYR 151

220.94%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.98 MYR 35.84

51.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$25.83 MYR 103

-29.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$56.6 MYR 226

6.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.99 MYR 23.90

186.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.13 MYR 16.49

110.41%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$187 MYR 744

271.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$4,509 MYR 18.0K

247.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$66.1 MYR 264

-9.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$18.81 MYR 75.0

84.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$73.9 MYR 295

55.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$39.69 MYR 158

109.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$260 MYR 1,038

135.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$186 MYR 741

135.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$430 MYR 1,717

386.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$349 MYR 1,393

332.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$837 MYR 3,339

-39.28%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Seremban: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $260 in Seremban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seremban pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Seremban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $243 per month, with Seremban 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 Seremban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seremban is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Seremban earns 65% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $260 in Seremban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $187 in Seremban. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $771 in Seremban versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Seremban but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Seremban the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Seremban 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 Seremban 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 Seremban gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.