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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $958 in Shah Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,436 in Shah Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,913 in Shah Alam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than in Shah Alam, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Shah Alam 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.82 MYR 15.42

19.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$19.79 MYR 79.8

64.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.15 MYR 16.74

114.46%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.94 MYR 11.87

-4.76%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.77 MYR 3.10

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.38 MYR 1.53

28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$3.43 MYR 13.84

-30.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$4.59 MYR 18.51

-19.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.87 MYR 7.56

-4.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.07 MYR 4.32

34.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.44 MYR 5.80

9.72%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.13 MYR 8.59

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$13.27 MYR 53.5

50.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.33 MYR 17.48

-20.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.79 MYR 39.51

15.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$3.44 MYR 13.88

-14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.70 MYR 6.87

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.76 MYR 11.15

-15.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.83 MYR 7.38

13.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.25 MYR 5.05

17.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$2.07 MYR 8.36

-34.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.47 MYR 5.92

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.57 MYR 2.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.20 MYR 16.96

1.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$19.08 MYR 77.0

-3.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.79 MYR 11.24

-32.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$4.47 MYR 18.04

-34.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.77 MYR 3.09

188.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$16.34 MYR 65.9

40.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.28 MYR 5.15

136.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.39 MYR 1.57

174.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$7.56 MYR 30.50

-48.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$0.75 MYR 3.02

98.67%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$42.1K MYR 170.0K

-35.61%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$35.5K MYR 143.3K

-22.70%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$38.25 MYR 154

168.76%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$9.86 MYR 39.79

11.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$29.96 MYR 121

-41.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$39.58 MYR 160

35.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$5.02 MYR 20.25

123.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$6.68 MYR 26.94

11.98%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$202 MYR 814

176.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$4,569 MYR 18.4K

159.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$58.4 MYR 236

9.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$39.95 MYR 161

-27.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$68.5 MYR 276

40.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$70.8 MYR 286

27.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$350 MYR 1,412

108.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$311 MYR 1,255

60.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$567 MYR 2,288

268.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$555 MYR 2,241

117.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,489 MYR 6,007

141.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,181 MYR 4,764

112.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$1,238 MYR 4,994

-59.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.24

31.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $350 in Shah Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 146% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Shah Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $264 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 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 146% lower in Shah 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: $730 in Phuket versus $350 in Shah Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $202 in Shah Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $958 in Shah Alam versus $1,253 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 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.