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: $1,008 in Selangor versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,449 in Selangor versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,890 in Selangor versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Selangor costs roughly 20% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Selangor 25% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 MYR 10.16

$4.70 ฿153

-45.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 MYR 91.7

$45.37 ฿1,482

-49.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 MYR 14.84

$8.43 ฿275

-55.63%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MYR 8.83

$2.93 ฿95.6

-23.89%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.06

$0.69 ฿22.40

11.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.32

$0.37 ฿11.99

-10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.19 MYR 16.62

$2.41 ฿78.6

73.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 MYR 21.15

$3.72 ฿122

43.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 MYR 7.26

$2.23 ฿72.9

-17.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MYR 4.00

$1.83 ฿59.8

-44.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.74

$2.17 ฿70.8

-33.18%

Eggs

$1.83 MYR 7.24

$2.21 ฿72.3

-17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 MYR 57.2

$19.74 ฿645

-26.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 MYR 18.46

$3.63 ฿119

28.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 MYR 38.98

$13.53 ฿442

-27.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MYR 11.37

$3.28 ฿107

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.52

$1.61 ฿52.6

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MYR 10.65

$2.41 ฿78.6

11.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 5.98

$2.08 ฿68.1

-27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.03

$1.53 ฿49.93

-16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MYR 3.93

$1.48 ฿48.36

-33.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.28

$0.99 ฿32.29

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.15

$0.51 ฿16.67

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.12

$4.41 ฿144

-2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.54 MYR 77.5

$19.38 ฿633

0.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 MYR 13.35

$1.78 ฿58.1

89.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MYR 16.88

$2.71 ฿88.6

57.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 2.94

$1.37 ฿44.79

-45.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.61 MYR 46.04

$11.39 ฿372

1.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.79

$3.02 ฿98.6

-59.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MYR 4.38

$0.99 ฿32.48

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 MYR 17.39

$14.10 ฿461

-68.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.84

$1.36 ฿44.51

-66.18%

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

$39.3K MYR 155.8K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

39.34%

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

$31.9K MYR 126.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-3.04%

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

$65.4 MYR 259

$122 ฿3,975

-46.24%

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

$9.48 MYR 37.59

$13.57 ฿443

-30.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.69 MYR 102

$18.31 ฿598

40.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 MYR 153

$60.2 ฿1,967

-35.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.29 MYR 28.90

$17.14 ฿560

-57.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.20 MYR 20.62

$8.69 ฿284

-40.16%

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

$117 MYR 462

$693 ฿22.6K

-83.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,384 MYR 17.4K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-72.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 MYR 237

$59.5 ฿1,944

0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 MYR 147

$34.77 ฿1,136

6.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 MYR 298

$115 ฿3,743

-34.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 MYR 313

$83.3 ฿2,720

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 MYR 1,749

$613 ฿20.0K

-28.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,379

$437 ฿14.3K

-20.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 MYR 3,365

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-59.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 MYR 1,871

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-68.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,659 MYR 6,577

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-55.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$726 MYR 2,878

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-72.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,004 MYR 3,980

$508 ฿16.6K

97.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

5.33

-25.70%

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

Last update for Selangor: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $441 in Selangor and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Selangor vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $293 per month, with Selangor 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

Selangor vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selangor is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Selangor pays 98% more on average, 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: $441 in Selangor versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $117 in Selangor versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,008 in Selangor versus $1,265 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 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.