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 $952 in Subang Jaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,459 in Subang Jaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,966 in Subang Jaya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than in Subang Jaya, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Subang Jaya 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$3.73 MYR 15.08

18.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$19.45 MYR 78.6

80.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$4.71 MYR 19.05

90.23%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.92 MYR 11.81

2.74%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.72 MYR 2.91

6.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.36 MYR 1.47

30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$4.07 MYR 16.45

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$4.34 MYR 17.52

-13.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.86 MYR 7.53

-2.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.10 MYR 4.45

29.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.73 MYR 6.98

-10.40%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.24 MYR 9.07

-4.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$13.32 MYR 53.8

48.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$4.84 MYR 19.56

-28.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$8.77 MYR 35.41

26.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.86 MYR 11.54

1.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.81 MYR 7.30

-8.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$2.36 MYR 9.54

-3.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.40 MYR 5.66

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.11 MYR 4.50

32.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.13 MYR 4.55

24.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.15 MYR 4.66

-5.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.54 MYR 2.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$4.51 MYR 18.21

-0.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$18.84 MYR 76.1

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$3.00 MYR 12.11

-38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$4.09 MYR 16.52

-27.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.89 MYR 3.58

153.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$12.55 MYR 50.7

83.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$1.25 MYR 5.06

143.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.40 MYR 1.63

172.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$5.02 MYR 20.29

-23.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$0.77 MYR 3.12

93.51%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$42.1K MYR 170.3K

-34.89%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$34.8K MYR 140.7K

-20.99%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$37.97 MYR 153

168.13%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$10.27 MYR 41.47

9.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$30.24 MYR 122

-41.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$24.41 MYR 98.6

121.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$2.44 MYR 9.86

349.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$5.28 MYR 21.32

48.67%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$289 MYR 1,167

99.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$10.8K MYR 43.6K

7.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$59.4 MYR 240

10.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$35.48 MYR 143

-18.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$84.9 MYR 343

16.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$68.8 MYR 278

31.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$570 MYR 2,302

32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$349 MYR 1,409

39.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$704 MYR 2,843

196.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$613 MYR 2,475

97.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$2,385 MYR 9,634

50.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,890 MYR 7,634

38.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$904 MYR 3,654

-44.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.22

31.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Subang Jaya: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $570 in Subang Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Subang Jaya pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Subang Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 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 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 80% 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: $756 in Phuket versus $570 in Subang Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $289 in Subang Jaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $952 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.