Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shah Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Shah Alam: $937 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
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Shah Alam Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Shah Alam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Shah Alam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $937 in Shah Alam.

Phuket $1,208
Shah Alam $937

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,432 in Shah Alam.

Phuket $2,027
Shah Alam $1,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,927 in Shah Alam.

Phuket $2,845
Shah Alam $1,927

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Shah Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Shah Alam 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$3.69 MYR 15.07

19.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$19.56 MYR 79.8

64.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.05 MYR 16.52

116.30%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.98 MYR 12.17

-5.03%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.72 MYR 2.95

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.38 MYR 1.57

23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$3.40 MYR 13.86

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.34 MYR 17.69

-11.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.87 MYR 7.63

-7.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.09 MYR 4.43

34.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.48 MYR 6.05

2.03%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.24 MYR 9.12

-3.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$13.92 MYR 56.8

41.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$4.37 MYR 17.81

-23.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$9.48 MYR 38.67

17.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.45 MYR 14.08

-17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.64 MYR 6.71

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.75 MYR 11.20

-20.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.82 MYR 7.40

12.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.21 MYR 4.93

19.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.02 MYR 8.26

-31.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.44 MYR 5.86

-25.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.58 MYR 2.35

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.37 MYR 17.82

-2.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$18.51 MYR 75.5

0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$2.67 MYR 10.90

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$4.45 MYR 18.15

-35.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.75 MYR 3.07

201.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$16.00 MYR 65.3

38.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.24 MYR 5.05

142.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.37 MYR 1.53

186.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$7.23 MYR 29.51

-46.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.80 MYR 3.26

81.25%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$46.1K MYR 188.3K

-42.95%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$36.2K MYR 147.7K

-25.57%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$37.60 MYR 153

156.33%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$10.01 MYR 40.84

10.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$28.97 MYR 118

-40.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$40.53 MYR 165

28.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$5.02 MYR 20.48

122.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$6.41 MYR 26.17

21.84%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$196 MYR 800

183.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$4,644 MYR 18.9K

149.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$58.4 MYR 238

9.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$39.89 MYR 163

-28.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$67.8 MYR 276

40.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$68.5 MYR 279

28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$339 MYR 1,384

117.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$308 MYR 1,258

49.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$569 MYR 2,322

268.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$553 MYR 2,255

117.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,519 MYR 6,197

129.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,170 MYR 4,772

115.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,244 MYR 5,076

-59.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.04

37.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Shah Alam

$308 32.9% 33.3% $154

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Shah Alam

$263 28.1% 2% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Shah Alam

$77 8.2% 38.5% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Shah Alam

$106 11.3% 15.1% $19

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Shah Alam

$108 11.5% 11.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Shah Alam

$53 5.7% 21.3% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Shah Alam

$22 2.4% 43.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $339 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Shah Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $263 per month, with Shah Alam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🕒 Local time

18:37 6:37 PM

19:37 7:37 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

812,327

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Shah Alam 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Shah Alam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, clothing, and eating out. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 149% 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: $737 in Phuket versus $339 in Shah Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $196 in Shah Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $937 in Shah Alam versus $1,208 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 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.