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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $796 in Seremban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,237 in Seremban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,679 in Seremban.

Living in Phuket is roughly 57% more expensive than in Seremban, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Seremban 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.88 MYR 11.79

57.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$18.95 MYR 77.5

143.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.52 MYR 14.40

151.14%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.81 MYR 11.50

8.90%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.85 MYR 3.47

-14.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.45 MYR 1.86

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.48 MYR 14.21

-30.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$6.61 MYR 27.04

-42.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.71 MYR 6.98

32.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.95 MYR 3.87

90.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.30 MYR 5.32

73.08%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.82 MYR 7.45

23.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$15.01 MYR 61.4

29.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.95 MYR 16.16

-7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.45 MYR 34.56

54.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.63 MYR 14.86

-11.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.20 MYR 4.92

35.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.53 MYR 10.33

-5.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.68 MYR 6.86

20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.04 MYR 4.26

47.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.32 MYR 5.40

13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.32 MYR 5.38

-25.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.56 MYR 2.28

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.25 MYR 17.39

4.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$13.94 MYR 57.0

31.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.74 MYR 11.19

-32.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$4.29 MYR 17.55

-37.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.14 MYR 4.68

23.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$11.73 MYR 47.97

-0.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.72 MYR 2.95

331.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.94 MYR 3.82

10.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.57 MYR 18.70

208.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.46 MYR 1.89

184.78%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$49.4K MYR 201.8K

-43.64%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$32.3K MYR 132.1K

2.83%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$36.95 MYR 151

231.37%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.92 MYR 36.48

52.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$25.73 MYR 105

-27.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$56.3 MYR 230

7.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$5.81 MYR 23.78

192.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.11 MYR 16.83

120.68%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$187 MYR 766

277.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,406 MYR 18.0K

258.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$66.0 MYR 270

-11.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$18.87 MYR 77.2

87.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$71.8 MYR 294

60.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$40.37 MYR 165

107.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$264 MYR 1,080

136.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$188 MYR 768

136.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$429 MYR 1,753

375.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$352 MYR 1,438

324.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$798 MYR 3,264

-37.36%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Seremban: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $264 in Seremban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seremban pays 60% 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 $19.00 in Seremban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $241 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 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Seremban. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $264 in Seremban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 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 $796 in Seremban versus $1,250 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 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.