Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Seri Iskandar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Seri Iskandar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $667 in Seri Iskandar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $881 in Seri Iskandar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,095 in Seri Iskandar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 83% more expensive than Seri Iskandar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Seri Iskandar 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$2.64 MYR 10.72

70.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$28.60 MYR 116

63.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.60 MYR 18.69

84.57%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$0.96 MYR 3.91

220.83%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.51 MYR 2.06

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.27 MYR 1.10

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.86 MYR 11.64

-15.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$3.52 MYR 14.31

3.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.57 MYR 6.38

39.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.89 MYR 3.63

103.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.45 MYR 1.82

395.56%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.96 MYR 7.98

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$5.24 MYR 21.29

274.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$1.93 MYR 7.84

92.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$4.20 MYR 17.08

220.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.15 MYR 8.73

56.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.57 MYR 6.38

3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.85 MYR 7.52

30.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.96 MYR 3.92

107.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.61 MYR 2.47

150.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.96 MYR 3.91

51.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.98 MYR 3.97

3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.61 MYR 2.49

-21.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$4.07 MYR 16.54

4.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$7.32 MYR 29.74

161.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.30 MYR 9.34

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$3.46 MYR 14.08

-20.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.05 MYR 4.26

35.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$11.65 MYR 47.35

0.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.92 MYR 3.73

226.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.10 MYR 4.48

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$4.63 MYR 18.82

200.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.51 MYR 2.06

152.94%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$18.6K MYR 75.6K

50.83%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$19.1K MYR 77.5K

75.70%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$65.6 MYR 267

85.89%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$9.64 MYR 39.17

44.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$15.84 MYR 64.4

19.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$13.21 MYR 53.7

363.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$6.04 MYR 24.56

178.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$3.58 MYR 14.57

148.32%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$163 MYR 664

323.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$9,305 MYR 37.8K

73.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$16.61 MYR 67.5

247.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$8.09 MYR 32.89

337.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$57.9 MYR 235

95.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$35.62 MYR 145

133.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$389 MYR 1,583

55.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$270 MYR 1,097

66.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$638 MYR 2,592

218.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$151 MYR 613

890.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,764 MYR 7,171

103.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,067 MYR 4,336

142.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$371 MYR 1,507

36.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

166.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Seri Iskandar: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $389 in Seri Iskandar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 36% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Seri Iskandar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $153 per month, with Seri Iskandar 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 Seri Iskandar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seri Iskandar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 36% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $389 in Seri Iskandar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $163 in Seri Iskandar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $667 in Seri Iskandar versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seri Iskandar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Seri Iskandar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Seri Iskandar 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 Seri Iskandar 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 Seri Iskandar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.