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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $928 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,343 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,757 in Skudai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than in Skudai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Skudai 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$3.75 MYR 15.21

24.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,059

$22.01 MYR 89.3

46.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$4.88 MYR 19.79

77.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.3

$2.87 MYR 11.64

1.05%

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

$0.84 ฿27.75

$0.84 MYR 3.42

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.42 MYR 1.70

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.6

$3.43 MYR 13.90

-27.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$5.84 MYR 23.70

-36.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$1.75 MYR 7.12

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.31

$1.03 MYR 4.18

36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.3

$1.50 MYR 6.07

8.00%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.7

$1.70 MYR 6.89

31.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿652

$9.64 MYR 39.10

105.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$3.22 MYR 13.07

8.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$9.92 MYR 40.23

14.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.3

$3.35 MYR 13.58

-13.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.7

$1.74 MYR 7.08

-1.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.7

$2.79 MYR 11.33

-18.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.1

$1.64 MYR 6.66

29.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.49

$1.42 MYR 5.78

3.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.69

$1.75 MYR 7.11

-18.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.08

$1.32 MYR 5.37

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.66

$0.54 MYR 2.21

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.41 MYR 17.91

-2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$14.26 MYR 57.9

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.2

$2.69 MYR 10.90

-33.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.5

$3.03 MYR 12.28

-1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.8

$0.76 MYR 3.10

196.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿772

$12.44 MYR 50.5

88.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.23 MYR 4.99

152.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.39

$0.39 MYR 1.57

176.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$9.39 MYR 38.11

-58.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.93

$0.73 MYR 2.95

95.89%

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

$27.8K ฿913.6K

$42.7K MYR 173.1K

-34.89%

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

$27.0K ฿887.2K

$33.1K MYR 134.2K

-18.42%

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

$105 ฿3,446

$49.43 MYR 201

112.02%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$8.43 MYR 34.20

35.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$26.70 MYR 108

-34.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,787

$41.50 MYR 168

30.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿376

$6.56 MYR 26.60

74.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$5.08 MYR 20.59

53.15%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$162 MYR 657

256.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.8K

$4,558 MYR 18.5K

154.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,092

$52.9 MYR 214

20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿957

$16.99 MYR 68.9

71.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,164

$79.7 MYR 323

20.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,960

$41.41 MYR 168

117.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$427 MYR 1,732

71.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$334 MYR 1,354

50.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.9K

$692 MYR 2,808

207.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$497 MYR 2,014

152.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.2K

$2,062 MYR 8,366

71.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.2K

$1,140 MYR 4,626

129.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Skudai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $427 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $230 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, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,391 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: $733 in Phuket versus $427 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $162 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $928 in Skudai versus $1,265 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 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.