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 $828 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,256 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $1,683 in Skudai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than in Skudai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Skudai 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$3.49 MYR 14.29

29.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$18.56 MYR 75.9

149.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$4.78 MYR 19.57

80.96%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$2.99 MYR 12.21

3.34%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$0.71 MYR 2.91

-4.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$0.39 MYR 1.61

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$3.45 MYR 14.09

-29.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$5.02 MYR 20.53

-24.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.87 MYR 7.63

16.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$0.95 MYR 3.87

91.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$1.31 MYR 5.34

66.41%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$1.89 MYR 7.72

18.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$10.60 MYR 43.34

88.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$3.44 MYR 14.08

5.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$8.20 MYR 33.52

65.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.77 MYR 11.35

18.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.52 MYR 6.23

11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$2.48 MYR 10.14

-6.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$1.27 MYR 5.17

59.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.17 MYR 4.80

36.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.38 MYR 5.65

7.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$0.94 MYR 3.84

7.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.52 MYR 2.15

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$4.33 MYR 17.70

2.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$14.16 MYR 57.9

31.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$2.73 MYR 11.18

-34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$2.91 MYR 11.91

-3.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$0.73 MYR 2.98

94.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$11.85 MYR 48.46

-4.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$1.02 MYR 4.19

202.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$0.99 MYR 4.04

5.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$9.40 MYR 38.44

45.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$0.50 MYR 2.03

162.00%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$31.3K MYR 127.9K

-12.80%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.6K MYR 112.8K

20.39%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$41.03 MYR 168

200.17%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$8.90 MYR 36.42

55.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$23.17 MYR 94.8

-20.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$36.67 MYR 150

64.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$5.74 MYR 23.46

192.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$4.83 MYR 19.74

84.06%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$187 MYR 765

267.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$6,839 MYR 28.0K

127.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$48.19 MYR 197

19.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$18.56 MYR 75.9

86.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$58.2 MYR 238

97.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$47.25 MYR 193

79.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$388 MYR 1,585

59.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$268 MYR 1,096

65.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$641 MYR 2,621

219.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$469 MYR 1,920

220.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$1,945 MYR 7,955

83.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$1,258 MYR 5,143

99.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Skudai: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $388 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $218 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 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,242 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: $618 in Phuket versus $388 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $187 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 $828 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 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.