Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skudai

For one person, living is cheaper in Skudai: $900 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Skudai
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Skudai Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Skudai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$900

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Skudai

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 Skudai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $900 in Skudai.

Phuket $1,278
Skudai $900

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,370 in Skudai.

Phuket $2,216
Skudai $1,370

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,840 in Skudai.

Phuket $3,154
Skudai $1,840

Living in Phuket is roughly 42% more expensive than in Skudai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Skudai 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.63 MYR 14.84

23.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$18.25 MYR 74.6

77.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.90 MYR 20.05

79.80%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.87 MYR 11.73

-1.39%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.83 MYR 3.40

4.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.45 MYR 1.83

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.33 MYR 13.62

-23.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.62 MYR 22.97

-34.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.74 MYR 7.11

-4.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.02 MYR 4.18

43.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.48 MYR 6.06

1.35%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.66 MYR 6.78

25.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$9.64 MYR 39.43

97.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.20 MYR 13.09

3.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.61 MYR 39.28

13.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.42 MYR 13.98

-14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.70 MYR 6.94

-0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.61 MYR 10.68

-13.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.64 MYR 6.69

26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.41 MYR 5.75

7.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.73 MYR 7.08

-20.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.37 MYR 5.59

-21.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.51 MYR 2.09

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.28 MYR 17.49

-1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$13.83 MYR 56.5

35.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.74 MYR 11.19

-33.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.99 MYR 12.22

-5.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.83 MYR 3.40

74.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$10.95 MYR 44.78

417.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.01 MYR 4.13

199.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.36 MYR 1.46

183.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$9.03 MYR 36.92

-59.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.86 MYR 3.51

70.93%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$44.3K MYR 181.0K

-39.51%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$36.0K MYR 147.2K

-25.87%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$48.79 MYR 199

97.48%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.16 MYR 33.38

37.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$26.88 MYR 110

-37.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$36.95 MYR 151

81.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$7.55 MYR 30.86

42.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.93 MYR 20.17

52.13%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$235 MYR 962

102.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$4,393 MYR 18.0K

156.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$50.5 MYR 206

23.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$16.62 MYR 68.0

70.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$77.2 MYR 316

22.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$85.4 MYR 349

0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$357 MYR 1,461

100.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$311 MYR 1,270

57.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$650 MYR 2,659

196.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$565 MYR 2,310

153.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,956 MYR 7,997

113.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,161 MYR 4,746

162.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.06

37.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Skudai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Skudai

$311 34.5% 36.7% $180

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Skudai

$226 25.2% 14.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Skudai

$84 9.3% 32.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Skudai

$103 11.5% 15.2% $18

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Skudai

$111 12.4% 8.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Skudai

$47 5.2% 43.1% $35

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Skudai

$17 1.9% 75.8% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $357 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $18 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $226 per month, with Skudai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Skudai

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

01:09 1:09 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

159,733

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.57 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Skudai 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Skudai

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 Skudai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skudai is cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,349 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: $716 in Phuket versus $357 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $235 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $900 in Skudai versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.