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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $947 in Subang Jaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,362 in Subang Jaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,777 in Subang Jaya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than Subang Jaya, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Subang Jaya 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.60 MYR 14.60

26.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$18.60 MYR 75.4

150.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.64 MYR 18.80

82.54%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.13 MYR 12.69

-3.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.81 MYR 3.27

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.45 MYR 1.82

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$4.82 MYR 19.55

-48.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.53 MYR 26.49

-43.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.89 MYR 7.67

15.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.00 MYR 4.04

90.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.44 MYR 5.85

52.78%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.08 MYR 8.43

6.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$14.72 MYR 59.7

35.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.77 MYR 19.34

-23.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.00 MYR 40.53

32.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.00 MYR 12.16

7.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.30 MYR 5.26

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.64 MYR 10.69

-9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.46 MYR 5.93

42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.28 MYR 5.21

24.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.41 MYR 5.72

4.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.21 MYR 4.92

-14.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.56 MYR 2.29

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.30 MYR 17.43

-1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$19.55 MYR 79.3

-3.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.75 MYR 11.15

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.91 MYR 11.79

-5.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.25 MYR 1.02

444.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$18.03 MYR 73.1

-36.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.16 MYR 4.72

170.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.50 MYR 2.02

108.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$4.77 MYR 19.33

188.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.50 MYR 2.02

168.00%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$35.1K MYR 142.2K

-21.10%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$32.5K MYR 131.8K

4.22%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$46.01 MYR 187

168.62%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$11.57 MYR 46.93

16.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$30.39 MYR 123

-38.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$23.33 MYR 94.6

164.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$2.30 MYR 9.33

650.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.94 MYR 20.03

85.02%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$185 MYR 749

280.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,810 MYR 27.6K

133.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$61.9 MYR 251

-3.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$18.87 MYR 76.5

85.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$81.2 MYR 329

41.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$39.59 MYR 161

112.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$496 MYR 2,012

24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$325 MYR 1,317

33.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$632 MYR 2,564

226.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$485 MYR 1,968

211.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,940 MYR 7,867

87.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$942 MYR 3,818

178.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$903 MYR 3,663

-43.87%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Subang Jaya: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $496 in Subang Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Subang Jaya pays 78% 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 $293 vs $259 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Subang Jaya earns 78% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $496 in Subang Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $185 in Subang Jaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $947 in Subang Jaya versus $1,261 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.