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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Shah Alam versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,436 in Shah Alam versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Shah Alam versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Shah Alam costs roughly 24% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shah Alam 30% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 MYR 15.42

$4.56 ฿150

-16.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.79 MYR 79.8

$32.62 ฿1,073

-39.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 MYR 16.74

$8.90 ฿293

-53.37%

Cappuccino

$2.94 MYR 11.87

$2.80 ฿92.2

5.00%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.10

$0.88 ฿28.94

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.53

$0.49 ฿16.08

-22.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 MYR 13.84

$2.39 ฿78.5

43.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 MYR 18.51

$3.71 ฿122

23.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.56

$1.79 ฿58.8

4.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.32

$1.44 ฿47.40

-25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.80

$1.58 ฿52.1

-8.86%

Eggs

$2.13 MYR 8.59

$2.13 ฿69.9

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 MYR 53.5

$19.92 ฿655

-33.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 MYR 17.48

$3.43 ฿113

26.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.79 MYR 39.51

$11.33 ฿372

-13.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 13.88

$2.95 ฿97.0

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.87

$1.72 ฿56.6

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 MYR 11.15

$2.32 ฿76.5

18.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.38

$2.08 ฿68.4

-12.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.05

$1.47 ฿48.34

-14.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 MYR 8.36

$1.36 ฿44.65

52.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MYR 5.92

$1.10 ฿36.13

33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$0.57 ฿18.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MYR 16.96

$4.27 ฿140

-1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.08 MYR 77.0

$18.42 ฿606

3.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 MYR 11.24

$1.87 ฿61.5

49.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MYR 18.04

$2.92 ฿96.1

53.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.09

$2.22 ฿73.0

-65.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.34 MYR 65.9

$22.90 ฿753

-28.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 MYR 5.15

$3.03 ฿99.6

-57.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 MYR 1.57

$1.07 ฿35.32

-63.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.56 MYR 30.50

$3.93 ฿129

92.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 MYR 3.02

$1.49 ฿49.06

-49.66%

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

$42.1K MYR 170.0K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

55.31%

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

$35.5K MYR 143.3K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

29.37%

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

$38.25 MYR 154

$103 ฿3,380

-62.79%

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

$9.86 MYR 39.79

$10.99 ฿361

-10.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MYR 121

$17.51 ฿576

71.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 MYR 160

$53.5 ฿1,760

-26.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.02 MYR 20.25

$11.20 ฿368

-55.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 MYR 26.94

$7.48 ฿246

-10.70%

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

$202 MYR 814

$557 ฿18.3K

-63.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,569 MYR 18.4K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-61.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MYR 236

$64.1 ฿2,107

-8.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.95 MYR 161

$29.07 ฿956

37.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 MYR 276

$96.0 ฿3,155

-28.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MYR 286

$90.3 ฿2,970

-21.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 MYR 1,412

$730 ฿24.0K

-52.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 MYR 1,255

$500 ฿16.4K

-37.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 MYR 2,288

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-72.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 MYR 2,241

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-54.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,489 MYR 6,007

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-58.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,181 MYR 4,764

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-52.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,238 MYR 4,994

$503 ฿16.6K

145.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

5.57

-23.88%

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

Last update for Shah Alam: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $350 in Shah Alam and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 146% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Shah Alam vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $273 per month, with Shah 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

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

Shah Alam is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 146% higher in Shah 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: $350 in Shah Alam versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Shah 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 4% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $958 in Shah Alam versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shah Alam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shah Alam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shah 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, Shah 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 Shah Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.