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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $809 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,238 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,667 in Skudai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 57% more expensive than Skudai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Skudai 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$3.47 MYR 13.71

34.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$18.65 MYR 73.7

149.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$4.66 MYR 18.40

86.27%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.98 MYR 11.77

-1.01%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.73 MYR 2.89

-4.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.37 MYR 1.46

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$3.50 MYR 13.84

-27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$4.92 MYR 19.43

-23.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.87 MYR 7.40

18.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.98 MYR 3.88

83.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.25 MYR 4.95

75.20%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.88 MYR 7.41

22.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$10.54 MYR 41.65

83.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$3.55 MYR 14.01

6.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.36 MYR 33.02

58.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.77 MYR 10.96

20.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.51 MYR 5.97

9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$2.50 MYR 9.87

-8.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.20 MYR 4.74

65.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.19 MYR 4.71

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.35 MYR 5.32

11.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.89 MYR 3.50

15.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.51 MYR 2.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$4.32 MYR 17.08

2.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$14.38 MYR 56.8

34.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.73 MYR 10.79

-34.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.94 MYR 11.61

-8.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.74 MYR 2.91

93.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$11.95 MYR 47.21

-2.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.01 MYR 3.99

200.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.99 MYR 3.93

5.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$9.51 MYR 37.55

43.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.47 MYR 1.85

176.60%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$31.5K MYR 124.4K

-11.43%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$27.6K MYR 109.1K

19.58%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$40.65 MYR 161

202.51%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$9.35 MYR 36.95

47.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$22.69 MYR 89.6

-16.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$36.95 MYR 146

65.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$5.99 MYR 23.68

180.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$5.08 MYR 20.05

74.61%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$190 MYR 750

266.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,814 MYR 26.9K

135.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$49.26 MYR 195

20.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$18.59 MYR 73.5

87.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$60.1 MYR 237

88.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$47.05 MYR 186

80.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$386 MYR 1,527

59.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$271 MYR 1,071

65.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$635 MYR 2,507

228.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$473 MYR 1,868

216.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,753 MYR 6,923

113.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$880 MYR 3,477

202.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Skudai: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $386 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $19 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $1,213 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: $615 in Phuket versus $386 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $190 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $809 in Skudai versus $1,270 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 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.