Cost of Living Comparison Between Seremban and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Seremban and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $796 in Seremban versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,237 in Seremban versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,679 in Seremban versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Seremban costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Seremban 40% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.88 MYR 11.79

$4.55 ฿153

-36.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.95 MYR 77.5

$46.18 ฿1,553

-58.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.52 MYR 14.40

$8.84 ฿297

-60.18%

Cappuccino

$2.81 MYR 11.50

$3.06 ฿103

-8.17%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.47

$0.73 ฿24.40

16.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.86

$0.40 ฿13.39

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 MYR 14.21

$2.43 ฿81.8

43.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 MYR 27.04

$3.78 ฿127

74.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MYR 6.98

$2.26 ฿76.0

-24.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 MYR 3.87

$1.81 ฿60.9

-47.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.32

$2.25 ฿75.8

-42.22%

Eggs

$1.82 MYR 7.45

$2.25 ฿75.5

-19.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.01 MYR 61.4

$19.51 ฿656

-23.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.95 MYR 16.16

$3.65 ฿123

8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 MYR 34.56

$13.05 ฿439

-35.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 MYR 14.86

$3.23 ฿109

12.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.92

$1.62 ฿54.4

-25.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 MYR 10.33

$2.38 ฿80.1

6.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.86

$2.03 ฿68.1

-17.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$1.53 ฿51.6

-32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.40

$1.50 ฿50.5

-12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MYR 5.38

$0.98 ฿32.91

34.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.28

$0.52 ฿17.39

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MYR 17.39

$4.44 ฿149

-4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 MYR 57.0

$18.32 ฿616

-23.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 MYR 11.19

$1.86 ฿62.7

47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 MYR 17.55

$2.68 ฿90.1

60.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 MYR 4.68

$1.41 ฿47.46

-19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.73 MYR 47.97

$11.70 ฿393

0.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$3.11 ฿105

-76.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MYR 3.82

$1.04 ฿35.06

-9.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 MYR 18.70

$14.11 ฿474

-67.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$1.31 ฿44.10

-64.89%

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

$49.4K MYR 201.8K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

77.42%

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

$32.3K MYR 132.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-2.75%

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

$36.95 MYR 151

$122 ฿4,118

-69.82%

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

$8.92 MYR 36.48

$13.59 ฿457

-34.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.73 MYR 105

$18.70 ฿629

37.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 MYR 230

$60.5 ฿2,034

-6.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 MYR 23.78

$16.98 ฿571

-65.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 MYR 16.83

$9.07 ฿305

-54.69%

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

$187 MYR 766

$706 ฿23.8K

-73.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,406 MYR 18.0K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-72.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.0 MYR 270

$58.6 ฿1,969

12.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.87 MYR 77.2

$35.36 ฿1,189

-46.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 MYR 294

$115 ฿3,883

-37.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.37 MYR 165

$83.7 ฿2,816

-51.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 MYR 1,080

$626 ฿21.0K

-57.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 MYR 768

$445 ฿15.0K

-57.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 MYR 1,753

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-78.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 MYR 1,438

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-76.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$798 MYR 3,264

$500 ฿16.8K

59.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.07

5.33

-23.64%

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

Last update for Seremban: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Seremban and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seremban pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Seremban vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $289 per month, with Seremban 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

Seremban vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seremban is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $264 in Seremban versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Seremban versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $796 in Seremban versus $1,250 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 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.