Cost of Living Comparison Between Setia Alam and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Setia Alam and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $982 in Setia Alam versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,469 in Setia Alam versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,956 in Setia Alam versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Setia Alam costs roughly 22% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Setia Alam 29% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.87 MYR 19.64

$4.56 ฿150

6.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.49 MYR 98.8

$32.62 ฿1,073

-24.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 MYR 19.44

$8.90 ฿293

-45.84%

Cappuccino

$3.23 MYR 13.05

$2.80 ฿92.2

15.36%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.20

$0.88 ฿28.94

-10.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.85

$0.49 ฿16.08

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.57 MYR 18.45

$2.39 ฿78.5

91.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 MYR 24.71

$3.71 ฿122

65.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.45

$1.79 ฿58.8

3.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 MYR 3.10

$1.44 ฿47.40

-46.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.28

$1.58 ฿52.1

-32.91%

Eggs

$1.79 MYR 7.23

$2.13 ฿69.9

-15.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.06 MYR 20.42

$19.92 ฿655

-74.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 MYR 17.30

$3.43 ฿113

25.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.65 MYR 38.94

$11.33 ฿372

-14.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.56

$2.95 ฿97.0

-53.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 MYR 7.68

$1.72 ฿56.6

10.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.53

$2.32 ฿76.5

-40.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.18

$2.08 ฿68.4

-26.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.61

$1.47 ฿48.34

-5.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 MYR 5.43

$1.36 ฿44.65

-0.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MYR 2.56

$1.10 ฿36.13

-42.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.27

$0.57 ฿18.89

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 MYR 17.52

$4.27 ฿140

1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 MYR 78.3

$18.42 ฿606

5.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 MYR 14.19

$1.87 ฿61.5

88.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.59

$2.92 ฿96.1

66.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.86

$2.22 ฿73.0

-68.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.01

$22.90 ฿753

-46.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 MYR 5.11

$3.03 ฿99.6

-58.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 MYR 5.11

$1.07 ฿35.32

18.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MYR 20.11

$3.93 ฿129

26.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 MYR 2.65

$1.49 ฿49.06

-55.70%

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

$41.6K MYR 168.0K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

53.48%

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

$34.8K MYR 140.5K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

26.92%

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

$63.0 MYR 254

$103 ฿3,380

-38.69%

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

$9.14 MYR 36.86

$10.99 ฿361

-16.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.57 MYR 107

$17.51 ฿576

51.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 MYR 231

$53.5 ฿1,760

6.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 MYR 26.33

$11.20 ฿368

-41.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 MYR 21.42

$7.48 ฿246

-29.01%

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

$176 MYR 711

$557 ฿18.3K

-68.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MYR 44.9K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-6.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 MYR 297

$64.1 ฿2,107

14.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.69 MYR 104

$29.07 ฿956

-11.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 MYR 367

$96.0 ฿3,155

-5.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.4 MYR 223

$90.3 ฿2,970

-38.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 MYR 2,163

$730 ฿24.0K

-26.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 MYR 1,277

$500 ฿16.4K

-36.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 MYR 3,521

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-58.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 MYR 2,219

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-54.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,066 MYR 8,335

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-42.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,112 MYR 4,487

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-55.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,151 MYR 4,643

$503 ฿16.6K

128.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

5.57

-26.03%

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

Last update for Setia Alam: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $536 in Setia Alam and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 129% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Setia Alam vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $273 per month, with Setia Alam 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

Setia Alam vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Setia Alam is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 129% higher in Setia Alam, 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: $536 in Setia Alam versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Setia Alam 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 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $982 in Setia Alam versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Setia Alam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Setia Alam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Setia Alam 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, Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.