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 $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,280 in Seremban versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,763 in Seremban versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Seremban costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Seremban 42% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MYR 15.15

$4.56 ฿150

-17.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 MYR 89.3

$32.62 ฿1,072

-32.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.81 MYR 15.41

$8.90 ฿293

-57.19%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.63

$2.80 ฿92.2

2.86%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.39

$0.88 ฿28.93

-4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.84

$0.49 ฿16.08

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 MYR 14.78

$2.39 ฿78.5

53.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MYR 19.62

$3.71 ฿122

30.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MYR 7.15

$1.79 ฿58.7

-1.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.33

$1.44 ฿47.38

-25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.08

$1.58 ฿52.1

-5.06%

Eggs

$1.70 MYR 6.89

$2.13 ฿69.9

-20.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.50 MYR 74.8

$19.92 ฿655

-7.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.50 MYR 18.17

$3.43 ฿113

31.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 MYR 41.85

$11.33 ฿372

-8.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 13.89

$2.95 ฿96.9

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.28

$1.72 ฿56.6

-23.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 MYR 19.18

$2.32 ฿76.4

104.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.60

$2.08 ฿68.4

-33.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 MYR 4.20

$1.47 ฿48.33

-29.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.86

$1.36 ฿44.64

-11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MYR 4.96

$1.10 ฿36.12

11.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.08

$0.57 ฿18.89

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 MYR 17.89

$4.27 ฿140

3.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.37 MYR 58.1

$18.42 ฿605

-21.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 MYR 11.94

$1.87 ฿61.5

57.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.61

$2.92 ฿96.0

6.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.05

$2.22 ฿72.9

-43.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.58 MYR 99.3

$22.90 ฿753

7.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 MYR 2.85

$3.03 ฿99.6

-76.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MYR 2.85

$1.07 ฿35.31

-33.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 MYR 40.81

$3.93 ฿129

157.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 MYR 2.45

$1.49 ฿49.04

-59.06%

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

$41.8K MYR 168.9K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

54.10%

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

$35.5K MYR 143.5K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

29.34%

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

$45.50 MYR 184

$103 ฿3,379

-55.74%

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

$10.82 MYR 43.74

$10.99 ฿361

-1.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.27 MYR 118

$17.51 ฿576

67.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 MYR 268

$53.5 ฿1,760

23.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 MYR 17.51

$7.48 ฿246

-42.11%

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

$184 MYR 745

$557 ฿18.3K

-66.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,510 MYR 18.2K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-61.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.68 MYR 201

$64.1 ฿2,106

-22.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.48 MYR 147

$29.07 ฿956

25.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 MYR 328

$96.0 ฿3,154

-15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 MYR 354

$90.3 ฿2,970

-2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$184 MYR 744

$730 ฿24.0K

-74.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$122 MYR 491

$500 ฿16.4K

-75.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$306 MYR 1,236

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-85.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 MYR 1,028

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-78.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$799 MYR 3,230

$503 ฿16.5K

58.78%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $184 in Seremban and $730 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: $22.00 in Seremban vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $273 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 57% 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: $184 in Seremban versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $184 in Seremban versus $557 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 $796 in Seremban versus $1,253 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.