Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Setia Alam Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Setia Alam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $927 in Setia Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,385 in Setia Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,842 in Setia Alam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than Setia Alam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Setia Alam 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.59 MYR 18.31

2.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$23.15 MYR 92.4

95.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.84 MYR 19.32

74.17%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.13 MYR 12.50

-6.39%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.89 MYR 3.56

-22.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.37 MYR 1.47

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.26 MYR 16.99

-43.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.74 MYR 22.91

-35.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.80 MYR 7.16

23.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.68 MYR 2.72

169.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.98 MYR 3.91

121.43%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.73 MYR 6.91

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.62 MYR 18.44

327.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.92 MYR 15.63

-7.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.45 MYR 37.69

43.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.32 MYR 5.29

148.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.59 MYR 6.34

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.29 MYR 5.14

86.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.43 MYR 5.71

45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.23 MYR 4.93

24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.27 MYR 5.07

16.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.61 MYR 2.42

62.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.56 MYR 2.24

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.06 MYR 16.20

8.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$19.94 MYR 79.6

-2.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.23 MYR 12.90

-44.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$4.27 MYR 17.05

-36.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.73 MYR 2.89

87.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$11.93 MYR 47.61

-4.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.16 MYR 4.64

160.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.14 MYR 4.54

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.62 MYR 18.42

205.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.48 MYR 1.90

183.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$39.3K MYR 156.9K

-28.26%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.2K MYR 128.6K

2.12%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$58.1 MYR 232

109.65%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.59 MYR 42.26

28.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$25.89 MYR 103

-29.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$55.8 MYR 223

7.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$2.35 MYR 9.37

629.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.11 MYR 20.39

70.06%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$193 MYR 769

259.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$9,575 MYR 38.2K

63.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$61.3 MYR 245

-2.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$24.70 MYR 98.6

40.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$84.5 MYR 337

35.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$52.0 MYR 208

60.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$496 MYR 1,979

23.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$309 MYR 1,233

41.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$815 MYR 3,252

156.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$524 MYR 2,091

187.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,965 MYR 7,840

90.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$991 MYR 3,955

163.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,180 MYR 4,708

-56.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.12

29.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $496 in Setia Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 132% 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 $23.00 in Setia Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $206 per month, with Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Setia Alam is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Setia Alam earns 132% 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 $496 in Setia Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $193 in Setia Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $927 in Setia Alam versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Setia Alam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Setia Alam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.