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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $873 in Shah Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,333 in Shah Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,793 in Shah Alam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than in Shah Alam, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shah Alam 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.97 MYR 12.16

53.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$18.70 MYR 76.5

146.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.13 MYR 16.90

114.04%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.73 MYR 11.15

12.09%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.72 MYR 2.93

1.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.36 MYR 1.49

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.59 MYR 14.70

-32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.31 MYR 17.62

-12.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.80 MYR 7.38

25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.99 MYR 4.06

82.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.49 MYR 6.10

51.01%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.03 MYR 8.29

10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$14.35 MYR 58.7

35.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.07 MYR 20.73

-28.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.92 MYR 32.41

64.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.80 MYR 11.45

15.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.50 MYR 6.13

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.55 MYR 10.43

-6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.24 MYR 5.09

63.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.13 MYR 4.61

35.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.34 MYR 5.49

11.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.91 MYR 3.73

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.52 MYR 2.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.13 MYR 16.88

7.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$18.60 MYR 76.1

-1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.65 MYR 10.86

-29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$4.00 MYR 16.36

-33.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.74 MYR 3.03

90.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$15.20 MYR 62.2

-23.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.95 MYR 3.90

227.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.54 MYR 2.20

92.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$7.21 MYR 29.47

95.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.49 MYR 2.01

167.35%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$33.6K MYR 137.6K

-17.30%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.4K MYR 112.2K

21.13%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$41.19 MYR 168

197.26%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$10.07 MYR 41.20

34.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$30.14 MYR 123

-37.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$38.85 MYR 159

55.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$5.82 MYR 23.81

191.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.37 MYR 26.04

42.39%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$210 MYR 861

235.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,234 MYR 25.5K

153.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$50.0 MYR 205

17.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$34.92 MYR 143

1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$61.0 MYR 249

89.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$49.48 MYR 202

69.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$372 MYR 1,521

68.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$266 MYR 1,087

67.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$586 MYR 2,398

248.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$482 MYR 1,970

209.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,505 MYR 6,155

131.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,208 MYR 4,942

113.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,252 MYR 5,120

-60.07%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $372 in Shah Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 150% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Shah Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $248 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 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 150% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $372 in Shah Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $210 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 $873 in Shah Alam versus $1,250 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 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.