Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seremban and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Seremban: $793 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Seremban
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Seremban Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Seremban

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$793

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in Seremban versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Seremban $793
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,246 in Seremban versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Seremban $1,246
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,700 in Seremban versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Seremban $1,700
Phuket $2,845

Living in Seremban costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Seremban 41% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 MYR 14.68

$4.40 ฿147

-18.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.22 MYR 74.3

$32.26 ฿1,078

-43.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.65 MYR 14.88

$8.76 ฿293

-58.33%

Cappuccino

$2.85 MYR 11.65

$2.83 ฿94.5

0.71%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$0.90 ฿30.14

-12.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.71

$0.47 ฿15.56

-10.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 MYR 15.08

$2.55 ฿85.2

45.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 MYR 19.54

$3.83 ฿128

25.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MYR 7.17

$1.73 ฿57.7

1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MYR 4.48

$1.47 ฿49.11

-25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.92

$1.51 ฿50.6

-3.97%

Eggs

$1.75 MYR 7.13

$2.17 ฿72.7

-19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 MYR 73.4

$19.70 ฿658

-8.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 MYR 18.46

$3.34 ฿112

35.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 MYR 41.73

$11.16 ฿373

-8.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MYR 13.41

$2.85 ฿95.1

15.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$1.70 ฿56.9

-21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 MYR 19.57

$2.19 ฿73.3

119.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.40

$2.05 ฿68.4

-35.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.44

$1.45 ฿48.57

-24.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$1.38 ฿46.16

-13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$1.07 ฿35.69

12.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.23

$0.51 ฿16.91

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MYR 17.13

$4.26 ฿142

-1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.14 MYR 57.7

$18.58 ฿621

-23.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 MYR 11.63

$1.78 ฿59.7

60.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 MYR 12.27

$2.85 ฿95.2

5.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 MYR 5.08

$2.26 ฿75.6

-45.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.21 MYR 98.8

$22.10 ฿738

9.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$3.01 ฿101

-75.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 MYR 3.03

$1.06 ฿35.34

-30.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.89 MYR 40.36

$3.86 ฿129

156.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$1.45 ฿48.45

-51.72%

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

$43.5K MYR 177.4K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

65.19%

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

$35.2K MYR 143.7K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

30.73%

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

$44.55 MYR 182

$96.4 ฿3,221

-53.78%

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

$10.71 MYR 43.69

$11.04 ฿369

-2.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.91 MYR 118

$17.14 ฿573

68.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 MYR 273

$52.2 ฿1,744

28.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 MYR 17.70

$7.81 ฿261

-44.43%

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

$180 MYR 735

$556 ฿18.6K

-67.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,453 MYR 18.2K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-61.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.14 MYR 196

$64.2 ฿2,146

-25.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.82 MYR 68.6

$28.69 ฿959

-41.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 MYR 332

$95.4 ฿3,187

-14.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.3 MYR 352

$88.0 ฿2,940

-1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 MYR 738

$737 ฿24.6K

-75.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 MYR 503

$462 ฿15.5K

-73.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 MYR 1,237

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-85.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 MYR 1,042

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-78.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$798 MYR 3,257

$501 ฿16.7K

59.45%

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 Seremban: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Seremban

$264 33.4%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 1.6% $4.2

Accommodation & Living

Seremban

$123 15.6%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 275% $339

Eating Out

Seremban

$107 13.5%

Phuket

$121 10% 13.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Seremban

$105 13.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 18.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seremban

$84 10.6%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 48% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Seremban

$76 9.5%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 10.4% $7.9

Getting Around

Seremban

$34 4.2%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 17.2% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Seremban and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seremban pays 59% 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 Seremban vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $269 per month, with Seremban cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Seremban

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

1 h behind Seremban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

681,541

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 21, 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 21, 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

Seremban Phuket 700 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seremban
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

Seremban vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seremban is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 59% higher in Seremban, 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: $181 in Seremban versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $180 in Seremban 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 2% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $793 in Seremban versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Seremban but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Seremban the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Seremban 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, Seremban 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 Seremban gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.