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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $863 in Ulu Tiram.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,294 in Ulu Tiram.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,726 in Ulu Tiram.

Living in Phuket is roughly 42% more expensive than Ulu Tiram, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ulu Tiram 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$3.45 MYR 14.02

30.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$19.01 MYR 77.3

145.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.80 MYR 19.51

76.88%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.68 MYR 10.91

14.93%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.73 MYR 2.97

-6.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.37 MYR 1.50

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$4.14 MYR 16.83

-41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$6.50 MYR 26.41

-44.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.80 MYR 7.31

21.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.95 MYR 3.86

90.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.24 MYR 5.03

79.84%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.83 MYR 7.45

22.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$10.65 MYR 43.28

84.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$4.12 MYR 16.74

-9.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$8.37 MYR 34.02

60.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.70 MYR 10.97

24.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.50 MYR 6.10

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$2.52 MYR 10.25

-4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.20 MYR 4.89

65.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.19 MYR 4.85

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.38 MYR 5.61

5.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.88 MYR 3.58

14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.59 MYR 2.41

-18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$4.12 MYR 16.75

3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$17.57 MYR 71.4

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.78 MYR 11.31

-33.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.87 MYR 11.67

-4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.74 MYR 3.02

91.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$11.73 MYR 47.68

-0.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.99 MYR 4.01

203.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.04 MYR 4.22

0.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$9.10 MYR 36.98

52.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.50 MYR 2.02

158.00%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$35.3K MYR 143.6K

-20.65%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$32.7K MYR 133.0K

2.36%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$45.46 MYR 185

168.32%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$9.08 MYR 36.91

53.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$30.52 MYR 124

-38.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$37.06 MYR 151

65.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$5.74 MYR 23.35

193.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$5.01 MYR 20.37

77.45%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$189 MYR 768

266.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$6,838 MYR 27.8K

136.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$64.5 MYR 262

-10.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$19.03 MYR 77.4

85.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$71.2 MYR 289

59.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$46.76 MYR 190

77.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$385 MYR 1,566

57.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$270 MYR 1,099

65.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$637 MYR 2,589

218.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$474 MYR 1,925

215.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,902 MYR 7,731

88.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$937 MYR 3,808

175.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$864 MYR 3,514

-41.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.07

30.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Ulu Tiram: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $385 in Ulu Tiram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulu Tiram pays 71% 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 Ulu Tiram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $228 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ulu Tiram earns 71% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $385 in Ulu Tiram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $189 in Ulu Tiram. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $863 in Ulu Tiram versus $1,223 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 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.