Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semenyih and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Semenyih: $958 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Semenyih
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Semenyih Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Semenyih

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$958

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Semenyih 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 Semenyih and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Semenyih versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Semenyih $958
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,428 in Semenyih versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Semenyih $1,428
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,899 in Semenyih versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Semenyih $1,899
Phuket $2,845

Living in Semenyih costs roughly 21% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Semenyih 29% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 MYR 15.14

$4.40 ฿147

-15.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.05 MYR 73.6

$32.26 ฿1,078

-44.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 MYR 20.59

$8.76 ฿293

-42.35%

Cappuccino

$2.90 MYR 11.83

$2.83 ฿94.5

2.47%

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

$0.64 MYR 2.61

$0.90 ฿30.14

-28.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.42

$0.47 ฿15.56

25.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.29 MYR 17.49

$2.55 ฿85.2

68.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 MYR 24.78

$3.83 ฿128

58.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 MYR 6.88

$1.73 ฿57.7

-2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$1.47 ฿49.11

-31.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.85

$1.51 ฿50.6

-5.30%

Eggs

$1.72 MYR 7.02

$2.17 ฿72.7

-20.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 MYR 74.4

$19.70 ฿658

-7.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 MYR 19.00

$3.34 ฿112

39.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.49 MYR 42.80

$11.16 ฿373

-6.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 MYR 13.23

$2.85 ฿95.1

13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.92

$1.70 ฿56.9

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 MYR 15.60

$2.19 ฿73.3

74.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$2.05 ฿68.4

-20.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.83

$1.45 ฿48.57

-1.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.84

$1.38 ฿46.16

21.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MYR 5.62

$1.07 ฿35.69

28.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.51 ฿16.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 MYR 17.30

$4.26 ฿142

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 MYR 56.3

$18.58 ฿621

-25.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 MYR 11.71

$1.78 ฿59.7

61.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.73

$2.85 ฿95.2

9.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$2.26 ฿75.6

-66.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.19 MYR 49.73

$22.10 ฿738

-44.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 MYR 3.82

$3.01 ฿101

-68.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$1.06 ฿35.34

-33.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.73 MYR 39.70

$3.86 ฿129

152.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.13

$1.45 ฿48.45

-64.14%

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

$42.0K MYR 171.4K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

59.61%

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

$35.2K MYR 143.8K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

30.81%

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

$53.1 MYR 217

$96.4 ฿3,221

-44.91%

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

$11.18 MYR 45.59

$11.04 ฿369

1.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.15 MYR 115

$17.14 ฿573

64.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.45 MYR 165

$52.2 ฿1,744

-22.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 MYR 29.18

$11.16 ฿373

-35.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 MYR 20.54

$7.81 ฿261

-35.47%

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

$161 MYR 657

$556 ฿18.6K

-71.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,497 MYR 18.3K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-61.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MYR 220

$64.2 ฿2,146

-16.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.40 MYR 66.9

$28.69 ฿959

-42.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MYR 327

$95.4 ฿3,187

-15.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 MYR 405

$88.0 ฿2,940

12.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 MYR 1,635

$737 ฿24.6K

-45.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,219

$462 ฿15.5K

-35.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 MYR 2,813

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-67.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 MYR 1,940

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-60.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,017 MYR 8,228

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-42.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,075 MYR 4,386

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-57.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$668 MYR 2,724

$501 ฿16.7K

33.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.57

-27.11%

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

Last update for Semenyih: October 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Semenyih

$299 31.2%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 54.8% $164

Groceries & Markets

Semenyih

$266 27.8%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 0.9% $2.4

Eating Out

Semenyih

$118 12.3%

Phuket

$121 10% 2.6% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Semenyih

$112 11.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 10.7% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Semenyih

$92 9.7%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 34.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Semenyih

$51 5.3%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 34.2% $17

Getting Around

Semenyih

$20 2.1%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 101% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Semenyih and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Semenyih pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18.00 in Semenyih vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $269 per month, with Semenyih cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Semenyih

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:31 2:31 PM

13:31 1:31 PM

1 h behind Semenyih

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,000

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 25, 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 25, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Semenyih Phuket 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Semenyih
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

Semenyih vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semenyih is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Semenyih, 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: $401 in Semenyih versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Semenyih versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $958 in Semenyih versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Semenyih but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Semenyih the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Semenyih 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, Semenyih 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 Semenyih 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.