Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serdang and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Serdang: $975 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Serdang
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Serdang Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Serdang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$975

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $975 in Serdang versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Serdang $975
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,441 in Serdang versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Serdang $1,441
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,906 in Serdang versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Serdang $1,906
Phuket $2,845

Living in Serdang costs roughly 19% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Serdang 28% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.48 MYR 10.13

$4.40 ฿147

-43.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.85 MYR 68.8

$32.26 ฿1,078

-47.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.76 MYR 15.33

$8.76 ฿293

-57.08%

Cappuccino

$1.94 MYR 7.92

$2.83 ฿94.5

-31.45%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.43

$0.90 ฿30.14

-6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.94

$0.47 ฿15.56

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 MYR 17.92

$2.55 ฿85.2

72.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 MYR 25.34

$3.83 ฿128

62.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MYR 8.33

$1.73 ฿57.7

17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$1.47 ฿49.11

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.51 ฿50.6

27.81%

Eggs

$2.54 MYR 10.37

$2.17 ฿72.7

17.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.78 MYR 56.2

$19.70 ฿658

-30.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 MYR 18.50

$3.34 ฿112

35.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 MYR 40.41

$11.16 ฿373

-11.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 MYR 13.57

$2.85 ฿95.1

16.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.60

$1.70 ฿56.9

9.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.20

$2.19 ฿73.3

2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.58

$2.05 ฿68.4

-21.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.24

$1.45 ฿48.57

-11.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.46

$1.38 ฿46.16

-2.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$1.07 ฿35.69

4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$0.51 ฿16.91

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 MYR 17.59

$4.26 ฿142

1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.36 MYR 79.0

$18.58 ฿621

4.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 MYR 14.17

$1.78 ฿59.7

94.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 MYR 19.89

$2.85 ฿95.2

71.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.10

$2.26 ฿75.6

-66.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.22 MYR 49.86

$22.10 ฿738

-44.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$3.01 ฿101

-60.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MYR 5.07

$1.06 ฿35.34

16.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 MYR 19.45

$3.86 ฿129

23.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.36

$1.45 ฿48.45

-43.45%

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

$41.2K MYR 168.1K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

56.47%

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

$35.2K MYR 143.7K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

30.77%

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

$63.2 MYR 258

$96.4 ฿3,221

-34.42%

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

$8.89 MYR 36.28

$11.04 ฿369

-19.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.10 MYR 106

$17.14 ฿573

52.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 MYR 165

$52.2 ฿1,744

-22.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.11 MYR 29.00

$11.16 ฿373

-36.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MYR 20.74

$7.81 ฿261

-34.83%

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

$297 MYR 1,210

$556 ฿18.6K

-46.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

14.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 MYR 297

$64.2 ฿2,146

13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.98 MYR 171

$28.69 ฿959

46.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 MYR 356

$95.4 ฿3,187

-8.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 MYR 392

$88.0 ฿2,940

9.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 MYR 1,669

$737 ฿24.6K

-44.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 MYR 1,231

$462 ฿15.5K

-34.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 MYR 2,783

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-67.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 MYR 1,954

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-60.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,055 MYR 8,382

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-41.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 MYR 4,360

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-57.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$989 MYR 4,035

$501 ฿16.7K

97.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

5.57

-24.96%

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

Last update for Serdang: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Serdang

$302 30.9%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 53.3% $161

Groceries & Markets

Serdang

$274 28.1%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 1.8% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Serdang

$134 13.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 7.3% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serdang

$98 10.1%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 26.8% $26

Eating Out

Serdang

$94 9.7%

Phuket

$121 10% 28.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Serdang

$51 5.2%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 34.2% $17

Getting Around

Serdang

$23 2.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 73.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $409 in Serdang and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serdang 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: $17.00 in Serdang vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $269, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Serdang

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:31 2:31 PM

13:31 1:31 PM

1 h behind Serdang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,252

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

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Between locations

Serdang Phuket 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Serdang
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

Serdang vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Serdang is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 98% higher in Serdang, 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: $409 in Serdang versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Serdang versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $975 in Serdang versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Serdang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Serdang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Serdang 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, Serdang 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 Serdang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.