Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skudai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skudai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $807 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,223 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,639 in Skudai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than Skudai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Skudai 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.53 MYR 14.31

29.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$19.18 MYR 77.8

143.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$4.83 MYR 19.59

75.36%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.97 MYR 12.06

2.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$0.69 MYR 2.79

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.39 MYR 1.59

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$3.61 MYR 14.66

-31.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$5.10 MYR 20.70

-28.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.83 MYR 7.42

19.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$1.01 MYR 4.10

88.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.25 MYR 5.08

76.00%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$1.80 MYR 7.29

23.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$10.82 MYR 43.91

84.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$3.44 MYR 13.97

6.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$8.31 MYR 33.72

59.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.69 MYR 10.91

20.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.51 MYR 6.15

12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$2.58 MYR 10.45

-7.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.24 MYR 5.04

67.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$1.18 MYR 4.81

34.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$1.37 MYR 5.57

8.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$0.94 MYR 3.81

9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.52 MYR 2.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$4.17 MYR 16.90

1.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$14.43 MYR 58.6

30.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$2.78 MYR 11.26

-36.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$2.97 MYR 12.07

-7.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.68 MYR 2.78

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$11.65 MYR 47.28

-2.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$0.98 MYR 3.99

220.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.98 MYR 3.98

6.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$9.51 MYR 38.60

44.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$0.49 MYR 2.01

173.47%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$31.5K MYR 128.0K

-12.25%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$27.8K MYR 112.7K

21.95%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$41.22 MYR 167

199.83%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$8.87 MYR 35.98

52.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$22.56 MYR 91.6

-17.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$36.97 MYR 150

67.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$5.99 MYR 24.30

187.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$4.88 MYR 19.82

87.30%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$189 MYR 766

272.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$6,831 MYR 27.7K

132.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$48.40 MYR 196

22.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$18.80 MYR 76.3

86.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$59.5 MYR 241

93.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$47.35 MYR 192

77.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$387 MYR 1,571

59.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$267 MYR 1,082

62.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$638 MYR 2,590

223.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$470 MYR 1,908

221.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$1,940 MYR 7,872

87.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$1,095 MYR 4,443

139.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.07

30.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Skudai: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $387 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $219 per month, with Skudai 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 Skudai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skudai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,211 in Skudai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $387 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $189 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $807 in Skudai versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skudai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Skudai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skudai 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 Skudai 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 Skudai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.