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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $973 in Setia Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,443 in Setia Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,913 in Setia Alam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Setia Alam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Setia Alam 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.06 MYR 20.64

-12.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$24.14 MYR 98.5

33.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.01 MYR 20.46

78.24%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.08 MYR 12.59

-5.84%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.81 MYR 3.32

8.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.44 MYR 1.79

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$4.46 MYR 18.21

-47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$6.07 MYR 24.77

-38.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.87 MYR 7.61

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.70 MYR 2.87

110.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.06 MYR 4.32

46.23%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.81 MYR 7.39

16.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.94 MYR 20.16

296.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.23 MYR 17.28

-19.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.66 MYR 39.42

17.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.34 MYR 5.46

122.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.94 MYR 7.90

-13.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.37 MYR 5.60

61.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.50 MYR 6.11

44.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.30 MYR 5.32

16.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.32 MYR 5.40

1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.64 MYR 2.59

76.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.56 MYR 2.29

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.45 MYR 18.18

-4.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$18.82 MYR 76.8

1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$3.45 MYR 14.08

-48.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$4.94 MYR 20.17

-43.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.77 MYR 3.15

189.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$12.46 MYR 50.9

82.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.25 MYR 5.11

142.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.50 MYR 2.03

104.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$5.04 MYR 20.57

-22.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.64 MYR 2.63

132.81%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$42.5K MYR 173.4K

-37.43%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$35.3K MYR 144.2K

-23.46%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$61.6 MYR 251

66.48%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$9.48 MYR 38.70

19.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$26.31 MYR 107

-33.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$58.3 MYR 238

-10.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$6.42 MYR 26.19

72.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.34 MYR 21.80

44.01%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$177 MYR 722

216.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$11.0K MYR 44.9K

4.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$70.7 MYR 289

-10.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$25.51 MYR 104

15.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$89.2 MYR 364

9.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$54.4 MYR 222

62.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$515 MYR 2,104

43.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$322 MYR 1,314

49.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$860 MYR 3,513

144.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$545 MYR 2,223

125.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,025 MYR 8,266

78.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,122 MYR 4,581

132.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,132 MYR 4,621

-56.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.12

35.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $515 in Setia Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 129% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Setia Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $214 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, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 129% lower in Setia Alam. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $515 in Setia Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $177 in Setia Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $973 in Setia Alam versus $1,232 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.