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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $857 in Shah Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,310 in Shah Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,763 in Shah Alam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 48% more expensive than Shah Alam, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shah Alam 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.02 MYR 12.05

55.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$18.93 MYR 75.5

139.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.13 MYR 16.47

104.12%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.73 MYR 10.88

7.33%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.72 MYR 2.89

-4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.37 MYR 1.47

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.44 MYR 13.72

-29.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.43 MYR 17.68

-16.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.88 MYR 7.50

18.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.94 MYR 3.76

94.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.50 MYR 5.99

44.67%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.06 MYR 8.21

7.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.26 MYR 56.9

38.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.94 MYR 19.72

-26.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.09 MYR 32.26

67.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.83 MYR 11.27

15.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.46 MYR 5.81

10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.58 MYR 10.28

-6.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.21 MYR 4.85

71.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.18 MYR 4.70

29.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.40 MYR 5.59

5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.89 MYR 3.55

11.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.57 MYR 2.26

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.17 MYR 16.62

5.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$19.18 MYR 76.5

1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.65 MYR 10.57

-32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.81 MYR 15.21

-28.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.69 MYR 2.76

98.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$15.28 MYR 61.0

-25.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.96 MYR 3.81

214.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.54 MYR 2.17

83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.13 MYR 28.45

97.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.46 MYR 1.85

195.65%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$33.5K MYR 133.7K

-15.81%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.7K MYR 110.5K

18.76%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$41.35 MYR 165

194.32%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.16 MYR 40.52

33.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$30.62 MYR 122

-40.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$38.96 MYR 155

54.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.98 MYR 23.87

186.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.36 MYR 25.39

36.64%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$213 MYR 849

225.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$6,253 MYR 25.0K

150.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$49.63 MYR 198

19.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$34.84 MYR 139

-0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$61.3 MYR 245

86.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$48.83 MYR 195

70.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$372 MYR 1,485

64.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$266 MYR 1,061

64.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$576 MYR 2,299

263.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$481 MYR 1,919

213.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,553 MYR 6,195

141.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,223 MYR 4,880

113.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,263 MYR 5,040

-59.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.16

28.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $372 in Shah Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 149% 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 $19.00 in Shah Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $249 per month, with Shah 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 Shah Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shah Alam is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Shah Alam earns 149% 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 $372 in Shah Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $213 in Shah Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $857 in Shah Alam versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shah Alam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shah Alam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shah 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 Shah 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 Shah Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.