Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulu Tiram Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulu Tiram

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $939 in Ulu Tiram.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,364 in Ulu Tiram.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,789 in Ulu Tiram.

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than in Ulu Tiram, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Ulu Tiram 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.74 MYR 15.32

17.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$21.40 MYR 87.6

50.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$4.90 MYR 20.06

82.24%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.97 MYR 12.17

-2.36%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.78 MYR 3.18

12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.45 MYR 1.84

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$4.55 MYR 18.62

-48.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$6.29 MYR 25.75

-40.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.70 MYR 6.97

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.03 MYR 4.22

42.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.44 MYR 5.88

7.64%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.75 MYR 7.16

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$9.70 MYR 39.69

101.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.22 MYR 17.25

-18.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$9.63 MYR 39.40

18.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$3.34 MYR 13.67

-10.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.75 MYR 7.15

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.66 MYR 10.88

-16.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.62 MYR 6.62

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.46 MYR 5.98

4.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.68 MYR 6.89

-20.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.38 MYR 5.65

-18.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.55 MYR 2.26

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.35 MYR 17.81

-2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$16.96 MYR 69.4

12.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.97 MYR 12.15

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$3.11 MYR 12.73

-10.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.69 MYR 2.81

223.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$12.25 MYR 50.2

85.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.25 MYR 5.10

142.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.36 MYR 1.46

183.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$9.32 MYR 38.15

-58.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.78 MYR 3.18

91.03%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$41.2K MYR 168.6K

-35.47%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$35.0K MYR 143.4K

-22.83%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$53.0 MYR 217

93.49%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$8.22 MYR 33.65

37.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$28.97 MYR 119

-39.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$40.66 MYR 166

28.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$5.89 MYR 24.10

87.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.89 MYR 20.03

57.26%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$166 MYR 680

237.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$4,502 MYR 18.4K

155.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$66.6 MYR 273

-5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$17.16 MYR 70.2

72.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$77.4 MYR 317

26.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$48.28 MYR 198

83.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$395 MYR 1,617

86.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$299 MYR 1,224

61.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$686 MYR 2,808

207.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$487 MYR 1,995

151.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,014 MYR 8,244

79.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,143 MYR 4,678

127.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$853 MYR 3,491

-42.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.06

37.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Ulu Tiram: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $395 in Ulu Tiram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulu Tiram pays 73% 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 $21.00 in Ulu Tiram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $240 per month, with Ulu Tiram 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 Ulu Tiram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulu Tiram is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Ulu Tiram. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $395 in Ulu Tiram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $166 in Ulu Tiram. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $939 in Ulu Tiram versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulu Tiram but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ulu Tiram the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ulu Tiram 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 Ulu Tiram 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 Ulu Tiram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.