Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Subang Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Subang Jaya: $951 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Subang Jaya
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Subang Jaya Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Subang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Subang Jaya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Subang Jaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $951 in Subang Jaya.

Phuket $1,207
Subang Jaya $951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,448 in Subang Jaya.

Phuket $2,037
Subang Jaya $1,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,945 in Subang Jaya.

Phuket $2,867
Subang Jaya $1,945

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Subang Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Subang Jaya 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.58 MYR 14.61

27.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$19.71 MYR 80.4

64.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$4.56 MYR 18.60

87.50%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$3.03 MYR 12.37

-10.23%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.77 MYR 3.14

22.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.40 MYR 1.63

22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$4.11 MYR 16.76

-36.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.53 MYR 18.47

-15.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.85 MYR 7.55

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.04 MYR 4.26

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.68 MYR 6.85

-8.93%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.24 MYR 9.15

-3.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$13.42 MYR 54.7

42.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$4.54 MYR 18.53

-27.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$8.45 MYR 34.46

31.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.06 MYR 12.48

-3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.78 MYR 7.28

-5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.27 MYR 9.24

1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.40 MYR 5.70

52.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.11 MYR 4.52

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.12 MYR 4.58

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.09 MYR 4.46

2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.54 MYR 2.19

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.42 MYR 18.05

-3.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$18.72 MYR 76.4

-2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$3.01 MYR 12.28

-42.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$4.90 MYR 20.00

-43.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.84 MYR 3.42

164.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$12.39 MYR 50.6

78.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.21 MYR 4.92

140.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.40 MYR 1.64

152.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.77 MYR 19.44

-19.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.88 MYR 3.57

69.32%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$42.4K MYR 172.8K

-37.02%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$34.9K MYR 142.3K

-23.43%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$36.42 MYR 149

172.84%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$9.61 MYR 39.20

17.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$29.25 MYR 119

-40.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$24.81 MYR 101

110.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$2.41 MYR 9.85

350.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$5.04 MYR 20.56

50.20%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$296 MYR 1,209

88.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

7.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$59.5 MYR 243

5.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$34.85 MYR 142

-17.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$86.0 MYR 351

11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$70.6 MYR 288

24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$566 MYR 2,308

28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$342 MYR 1,394

34.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$714 MYR 2,914

193.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$620 MYR 2,529

97.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$2,360 MYR 9,629

46.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,857 MYR 7,574

34.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$918 MYR 3,747

-46.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.04

37.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Subang Jaya: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Subang Jaya

$342 36% 25.7% $118

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Subang Jaya

$254 26.7% 5.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Subang Jaya

$75 7.9% 41.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9% 8.9% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9% 6.9% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Subang Jaya

$35 3.7% 48.2% $33

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Subang Jaya

$19 2% 51.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $566 in Subang Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Subang Jaya pays 86% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Subang Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $254 per month, with Subang Jaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Subang Jaya

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

19:29 7:29 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

902,086

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Subang Jaya 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Subang Jaya

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, clothing, and eating out. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Subang Jaya. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $566 in Subang Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $296 in Subang Jaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $951 in Subang Jaya versus $1,207 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.