Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Subang Jaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Subang Jaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $953 in Subang Jaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,356 in Subang Jaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,759 in Subang Jaya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than Subang Jaya, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Subang Jaya 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.56 MYR 14.08

30.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$18.62 MYR 73.5

151.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.72 MYR 18.65

87.29%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.96 MYR 11.71

1.35%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.84 MYR 3.33

-11.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.49 MYR 1.93

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$4.82 MYR 19.06

-49.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$6.58 MYR 25.99

-45.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.82 MYR 7.17

24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.93 MYR 3.68

97.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.44 MYR 5.67

55.56%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.06 MYR 8.15

12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$14.62 MYR 57.7

34.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.72 MYR 18.65

-22.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.83 MYR 38.83

33.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.01 MYR 11.88

12.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.30 MYR 5.15

26.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.63 MYR 10.40

-8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.53 MYR 6.05

32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.22 MYR 4.83

27.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.33 MYR 5.26

12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.22 MYR 4.80

-16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.56 MYR 2.20

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.32 MYR 17.07

3.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$18.74 MYR 74.0

0.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.84 MYR 11.24

-37.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.98 MYR 11.77

-7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.23 MYR 0.91

508.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$17.45 MYR 68.9

-34.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.15 MYR 4.53

171.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.50 MYR 1.99

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.59 MYR 18.14

206.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.50 MYR 1.98

170.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$35.5K MYR 140.0K

-23.32%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.2K MYR 131.3K

-0.92%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$45.15 MYR 178

176.81%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$11.47 MYR 45.30

18.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$29.90 MYR 118

-38.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$23.23 MYR 91.7

164.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$2.43 MYR 9.60

593.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.83 MYR 19.09

90.27%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$186 MYR 734

275.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,785 MYR 26.8K

129.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$61.5 MYR 243

-6.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$18.76 MYR 74.1

87.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$83.1 MYR 328

36.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$40.25 MYR 159

114.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$496 MYR 1,961

24.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$326 MYR 1,290

36.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$628 MYR 2,482

225.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$478 MYR 1,889

211.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,770 MYR 6,992

113.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$878 MYR 3,466

201.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$982 MYR 3,878

-46.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.47

19.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Subang Jaya: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $496 in Subang Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Subang Jaya pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Subang Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $255 per month, with Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subang Jaya is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Subang Jaya earns 87% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $496 in Subang Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $186 in Subang Jaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $953 in Subang Jaya versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Subang Jaya but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Subang Jaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.