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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $754 in Seri Iskandar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $945 in Seri Iskandar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,136 in Seri Iskandar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than in Seri Iskandar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Seri Iskandar 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$2.91 MYR 11.75

52.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$29.82 MYR 120

17.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$4.56 MYR 18.40

96.49%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$0.97 MYR 3.93

209.28%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.56 MYR 2.25

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.28 MYR 1.13

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.93 MYR 11.84

-18.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$3.71 MYR 15.00

1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.62 MYR 6.56

12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.00 MYR 4.05

42.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$0.47 MYR 1.90

229.79%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.10 MYR 8.47

1.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$5.49 MYR 22.20

259.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$1.96 MYR 7.90

77.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$4.38 MYR 17.71

153.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.20 MYR 8.87

32.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.76 MYR 7.11

-5.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.92 MYR 7.77

18.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.02 MYR 4.11

105.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.59 MYR 2.40

149.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$0.98 MYR 3.96

43.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.96 MYR 3.90

13.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.59 MYR 2.39

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$4.30 MYR 17.38

4.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$7.56 MYR 30.53

147.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$2.49 MYR 10.05

-26.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$3.61 MYR 14.60

-18.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.13 MYR 4.58

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$12.10 MYR 48.87

90.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$1.02 MYR 4.13

198.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.48 MYR 1.95

127.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$5.06 MYR 20.43

-24.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$0.58 MYR 2.34

156.90%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$19.8K MYR 80.0K

38.49%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$19.4K MYR 78.3K

41.89%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$65.0 MYR 262

56.73%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$9.32 MYR 37.63

21.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$16.74 MYR 67.6

6.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$13.30 MYR 53.7

307.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$6.93 MYR 27.98

58.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$3.66 MYR 14.77

114.48%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$171 MYR 689

238.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$5,029 MYR 20.3K

131.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$17.23 MYR 69.6

279.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$8.49 MYR 34.29

240.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$62.6 MYR 253

58.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$37.09 MYR 150

143.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$431 MYR 1,743

75.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$341 MYR 1,378

42.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$797 MYR 3,219

161.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$158 MYR 639

662.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$1,806 MYR 7,298

98.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,244 MYR 5,025

109.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$365 MYR 1,474

37.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

178.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Seri Iskandar: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $431 in Seri Iskandar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 38% 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: $35.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Seri Iskandar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $160 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, Getting Around. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Phuket, 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: $756 in Phuket versus $431 in Seri Iskandar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $171 in Seri Iskandar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $754 in Seri Iskandar versus $1,261 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 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.