Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,029 in Selangor versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,494 in Selangor versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,960 in Selangor versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Selangor costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Selangor 25% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 MYR 17.76

$4.56 ฿151

-3.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.22 MYR 81.8

$32.62 ฿1,082

-38.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.06 MYR 16.43

$8.90 ฿295

-54.38%

Cappuccino

$2.24 MYR 9.06

$2.80 ฿93.0

-20.00%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.41

$0.88 ฿29.19

-4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.73

$0.49 ฿16.23

-12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 MYR 18.19

$2.39 ฿79.2

88.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MYR 20.09

$3.71 ฿123

33.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.62

$1.79 ฿59.3

5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.49

$1.44 ฿47.81

-22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.02

$1.58 ฿52.6

-5.70%

Eggs

$2.01 MYR 8.14

$2.13 ฿70.5

-5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.12 MYR 65.2

$19.92 ฿661

-19.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 MYR 19.79

$3.43 ฿114

42.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MYR 40.10

$11.33 ฿376

-12.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.58

$2.95 ฿97.8

13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.45

$1.72 ฿57.1

6.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 MYR 9.51

$2.32 ฿77.1

1.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.69

$2.08 ฿69.0

-20.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.41

$1.47 ฿48.77

-8.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.24

$1.36 ฿45.05

-22.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.74

$1.10 ฿36.45

6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.36

$0.57 ฿19.06

1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 MYR 18.46

$4.27 ฿142

7.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.08 MYR 77.2

$18.42 ฿611

3.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 MYR 13.69

$1.87 ฿62.1

81.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MYR 20.49

$2.92 ฿96.9

73.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

$2.22 ฿73.6

-43.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.60 MYR 50.9

$22.90 ฿759

-44.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 MYR 4.95

$3.03 ฿101

-59.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 MYR 5.10

$1.07 ฿35.63

17.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 MYR 18.05

$3.93 ฿130

13.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 MYR 2.77

$1.49 ฿49.49

-53.69%

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

$42.9K MYR 173.5K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

58.18%

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

$35.5K MYR 143.5K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

29.29%

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

$65.6 MYR 265

$103 ฿3,410

-36.24%

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

$9.42 MYR 38.10

$10.99 ฿365

-14.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.41 MYR 107

$17.51 ฿581

50.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 MYR 164

$53.5 ฿1,776

-24.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.09 MYR 28.68

$11.20 ฿371

-36.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MYR 21.96

$7.48 ฿248

-27.41%

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

$123 MYR 499

$557 ฿18.5K

-77.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,417 MYR 30.0K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-37.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 MYR 288

$64.1 ฿2,125

11.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.00 MYR 174

$29.07 ฿964

47.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MYR 319

$96.0 ฿3,183

-17.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 MYR 333

$90.3 ฿2,997

-8.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 MYR 2,057

$730 ฿24.2K

-30.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,405

$500 ฿16.6K

-30.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MYR 3,685

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-56.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 MYR 1,977

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-59.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,618 MYR 6,540

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-55.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$711 MYR 2,874

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-71.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 MYR 4,285

$503 ฿16.7K

110.53%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Selangor and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 111% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Selangor vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $273, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 111% 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: $509 in Selangor versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $123 in Selangor versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,029 in Selangor versus $1,253 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.