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: $771 in Seremban versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Seremban versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,617 in Seremban versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Seremban costs roughly 39% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Seremban 42% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.91 MYR 11.56

$4.70 ฿153

-38.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.56 MYR 73.6

$45.37 ฿1,482

-59.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.51 MYR 13.91

$8.43 ฿275

-58.36%

Cappuccino

$2.67 MYR 10.60

$2.93 ฿95.6

-8.87%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.29

$0.69 ฿22.40

20.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.81

$0.37 ฿11.99

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 MYR 13.98

$2.41 ฿78.6

46.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 MYR 26.43

$3.72 ฿122

79.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MYR 6.95

$2.23 ฿72.9

-21.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 MYR 3.74

$1.83 ฿59.8

-48.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.89

$2.17 ฿70.8

-43.32%

Eggs

$1.86 MYR 7.39

$2.21 ฿72.3

-15.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 MYR 59.8

$19.74 ฿645

-23.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 MYR 16.34

$3.63 ฿119

13.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.33 MYR 33.03

$13.53 ฿442

-38.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 MYR 14.31

$3.28 ฿107

10.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.79

$1.61 ฿52.6

-24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.41

$2.41 ฿78.6

8.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.74

$2.08 ฿68.1

-18.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.26

$1.53 ฿49.93

-29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.20

$1.48 ฿48.36

-11.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MYR 5.10

$0.99 ฿32.29

30.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.24

$0.51 ฿16.67

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MYR 17.05

$4.41 ฿144

-2.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.38 MYR 57.0

$19.38 ฿633

-25.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 MYR 10.93

$1.78 ฿58.1

55.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MYR 16.67

$2.71 ฿88.6

54.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 MYR 4.37

$1.37 ฿44.79

-19.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.00 MYR 47.59

$11.39 ฿372

5.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 MYR 2.89

$3.02 ฿98.6

-75.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 MYR 3.49

$0.99 ฿32.48

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 MYR 18.32

$14.10 ฿461

-67.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.84

$1.36 ฿44.51

-66.18%

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

$49.2K MYR 195.0K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

74.40%

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

$33.4K MYR 132.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

1.47%

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

$37.92 MYR 150

$122 ฿3,975

-68.84%

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

$8.98 MYR 35.62

$13.57 ฿443

-33.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.83 MYR 102

$18.31 ฿598

41.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 MYR 224

$60.2 ฿1,967

-6.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 MYR 23.75

$17.14 ฿560

-65.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 MYR 16.38

$8.69 ฿284

-52.47%

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

$187 MYR 740

$693 ฿22.6K

-73.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,509 MYR 17.9K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-71.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 MYR 262

$59.5 ฿1,944

10.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.81 MYR 74.6

$34.77 ฿1,136

-45.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 MYR 293

$115 ฿3,743

-35.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.69 MYR 157

$83.3 ฿2,720

-52.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$260 MYR 1,032

$613 ฿20.0K

-57.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 MYR 736

$437 ฿14.3K

-57.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 MYR 1,707

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-79.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 MYR 1,384

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-76.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$837 MYR 3,318

$508 ฿16.6K

64.69%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $260 in Seremban and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seremban pays 65% 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 $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $293 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 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Seremban pays 65% more on average, 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: $260 in Seremban versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Seremban versus $693 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 $771 in Seremban versus $1,265 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 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.