Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Selangor: $1,020 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
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Selangor Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Selangor and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Selangor versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Selangor $1,020
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,469 in Selangor versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Selangor $1,469
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,918 in Selangor versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Selangor $1,918
Phuket $2,867

Living in Selangor costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Selangor 24% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.33 MYR 17.67

$4.58 ฿153

-5.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.20 MYR 78.3

$32.48 ฿1,086

-40.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.04 MYR 16.46

$8.55 ฿286

-52.75%

Cappuccino

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$2.72 ฿91.0

-16.91%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$0.94 ฿31.25

-17.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.49 ฿16.39

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MYR 18.08

$2.59 ฿86.6

71.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 MYR 20.24

$3.83 ฿128

29.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.74 ฿58.1

10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.30

$1.43 ฿47.82

-26.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.25

$1.53 ฿51.0

Eggs

$1.92 MYR 7.82

$2.17 ฿72.7

-11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 MYR 58.2

$19.15 ฿640

-25.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.78

$3.30 ฿110

32.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 MYR 39.16

$11.14 ฿372

-13.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 14.04

$2.95 ฿98.5

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.52

$1.68 ฿56.1

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.55

$2.30 ฿76.8

1.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MYR 6.49

$2.13 ฿71.3

-25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.45

$1.53 ฿51.1

-12.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$1.36 ฿45.55

-24.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$1.12 ฿37.44

-0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.55 ฿18.24

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.35

$4.26 ฿142

5.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.53 MYR 79.7

$18.19 ฿608

7.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$1.74 ฿58.2

106.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.81

$2.79 ฿93.3

74.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$2.22 ฿74.1

-46.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 MYR 50.0

$22.06 ฿737

-44.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$2.91 ฿97.3

-57.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$1.01 ฿33.79

23.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MYR 17.72

$3.83 ฿128

13.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 MYR 2.99

$1.49 ฿49.85

-51.01%

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

$41.9K MYR 171.0K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

57.07%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

31.97%

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

$63.4 MYR 258

$99.4 ฿3,321

-36.24%

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

$8.50 MYR 34.69

$11.28 ฿377

-24.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.97 MYR 106

$17.36 ฿580

49.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 MYR 168

$52.3 ฿1,747

-21.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 MYR 28.04

$10.85 ฿362

-36.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MYR 20.59

$7.57 ฿253

-33.29%

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

$122 MYR 499

$558 ฿18.7K

-78.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,175 MYR 29.3K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-37.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MYR 289

$62.9 ฿2,102

12.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MYR 169

$28.58 ฿955

44.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 MYR 315

$96.1 ฿3,213

-19.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 MYR 339

$88.1 ฿2,943

-5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,083

$729 ฿24.4K

-30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 MYR 1,413

$460 ฿15.4K

-24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 MYR 3,589

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-58.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MYR 1,963

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-60.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,578 MYR 6,438

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-54.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$705 MYR 2,875

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-71.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,019 MYR 4,157

$493 ฿16.5K

106.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

5.57

-28.90%

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

Last update for Selangor: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Selangor

$346 34%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 32.8% $114

Groceries & Markets

Selangor

$266 26.1%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 0.5% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Selangor

$123 12%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 1.2% $1.5

Eating Out

Selangor

$111 10.9%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 9.3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selangor

$98 9.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 30.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Selangor

$51 5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 31.7% $16

Getting Around

Selangor

$25 2.4%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 58.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Selangor and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 107% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Selangor vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $268 per month, with Selangor cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Selangor

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:40 1:40 AM

00:40 12:40 AM

1 h behind Selangor

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

281,717

79,308

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

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).

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).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Selangor Phuket 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Selangor
Phuket

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

Selangor vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selangor is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 107% higher in Selangor, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $511 in Selangor versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $122 in Selangor versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Selangor versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Selangor 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, Selangor and Phuket 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 Selangor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.