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 $858 in Ulu Tiram.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,305 in Ulu Tiram.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,753 in Ulu Tiram.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than Ulu Tiram, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ulu Tiram 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.64 MYR 14.40

27.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$18.66 MYR 73.7

151.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.67 MYR 18.43

89.29%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.77 MYR 10.96

8.30%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.68 MYR 2.67

8.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.36 MYR 1.44

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$4.14 MYR 16.35

-41.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$6.79 MYR 26.83

-46.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.82 MYR 7.19

24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.93 MYR 3.69

97.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.29 MYR 5.10

73.64%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.82 MYR 7.19

27.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.47 MYR 41.36

87.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.02 MYR 15.88

-9.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$8.20 MYR 32.38

59.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.66 MYR 10.51

27.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.46 MYR 5.75

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.53 MYR 10.00

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.21 MYR 4.78

67.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.19 MYR 4.69

31.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.33 MYR 5.24

12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.94 MYR 3.71

8.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.63 MYR 2.48

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.32 MYR 17.05

3.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$17.69 MYR 69.9

6.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.86 MYR 11.29

-37.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.98 MYR 11.77

-7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.74 MYR 2.93

89.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$11.64 MYR 45.98

-1.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.98 MYR 3.88

218.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.03 MYR 4.06

-2.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$9.10 MYR 35.96

54.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.50 MYR 1.99

170.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$34.9K MYR 137.8K

-22.08%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.5K MYR 128.4K

1.32%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$45.15 MYR 178

176.81%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$9.24 MYR 36.51

46.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$30.92 MYR 122

-40.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$37.34 MYR 148

64.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$6.02 MYR 23.77

179.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.03 MYR 19.88

82.70%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$187 MYR 739

273.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,993 MYR 27.6K

122.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$65.2 MYR 258

-11.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.07 MYR 75.3

84.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$69.5 MYR 275

62.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$46.25 MYR 183

86.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$390 MYR 1,540

58.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$268 MYR 1,059

66.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$636 MYR 2,513

221.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$472 MYR 1,866

215.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,753 MYR 6,925

115.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$904 MYR 3,572

192.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$871 MYR 3,440

-39.85%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ulu Tiram: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $390 in Ulu Tiram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulu Tiram pays 66% 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 $227 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 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ulu Tiram earns 66% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $390 in Ulu Tiram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $187 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 $858 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 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.