Cost of Living Comparison Between Skudai and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Skudai and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $807 in Skudai versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,223 in Skudai versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,639 in Skudai versus $3,310 in Phuket.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 MYR 14.31

$4.56 ฿150

-22.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 MYR 77.8

$46.63 ฿1,535

-58.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 MYR 19.59

$8.47 ฿279

-42.98%

Cappuccino

$2.97 MYR 12.06

$3.03 ฿99.7

-1.98%

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

$0.69 MYR 2.79

$0.69 ฿22.69

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.37 ฿12.04

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 MYR 14.66

$2.49 ฿81.9

44.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 MYR 20.70

$3.66 ฿120

39.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 MYR 7.42

$2.18 ฿71.8

-16.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MYR 4.10

$1.90 ฿62.6

-46.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.08

$2.20 ฿72.4

-43.18%

Eggs

$1.80 MYR 7.29

$2.22 ฿73.2

-18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 MYR 43.91

$19.99 ฿658

-45.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 13.97

$3.66 ฿121

-6.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.31 MYR 33.72

$13.25 ฿436

-37.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MYR 10.91

$3.23 ฿106

-16.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.15

$1.70 ฿55.9

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 MYR 10.45

$2.39 ฿78.8

7.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.04

$2.08 ฿68.4

-40.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$1.59 ฿52.4

-25.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.57

$1.48 ฿48.83

-7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 MYR 3.81

$1.03 ฿33.90

-8.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$0.52 ฿17.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MYR 16.90

$4.25 ฿140

-1.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 MYR 58.6

$18.79 ฿618

-23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 MYR 11.26

$1.76 ฿57.8

57.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 12.07

$2.76 ฿90.8

7.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.78

$1.36 ฿44.79

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.65 MYR 47.28

$11.36 ฿374

2.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 MYR 3.99

$3.14 ฿103

-68.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 MYR 3.98

$1.04 ฿34.10

-5.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 MYR 38.60

$13.77 ฿453

-30.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.01

$1.34 ฿44.26

-63.43%

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

$31.5K MYR 128.0K

$27.7K ฿911.1K

13.96%

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

$27.8K MYR 112.7K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-18.00%

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

$41.22 MYR 167

$124 ฿4,069

-66.65%

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

$8.87 MYR 35.98

$13.52 ฿445

-34.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.56 MYR 91.6

$18.69 ฿615

20.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.97 MYR 150

$61.8 ฿2,035

-40.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 MYR 24.30

$17.25 ฿568

-65.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 MYR 19.82

$9.14 ฿301

-46.61%

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

$189 MYR 766

$703 ฿23.1K

-73.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,831 MYR 27.7K

$15.9K ฿522.5K

-56.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.40 MYR 196

$59.5 ฿1,958

-18.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.80 MYR 76.3

$35.07 ฿1,154

-46.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 MYR 241

$115 ฿3,795

-48.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.35 MYR 192

$84.1 ฿2,767

-43.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 MYR 1,571

$619 ฿20.4K

-37.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 MYR 1,082

$433 ฿14.2K

-38.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 MYR 2,590

$2,062 ฿67.9K

-69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MYR 1,908

$1,511 ฿49.7K

-68.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,940 MYR 7,872

$3,646 ฿120.0K

-46.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,095 MYR 4,443

$2,626 ฿86.4K

-58.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

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 Skudai: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Skudai and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Skudai vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $293 per month, with Skudai 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

Skudai vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skudai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,211 in Skudai and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $387 in Skudai versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $189 in Skudai versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $807 in Skudai versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skudai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Skudai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skudai 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, Skudai 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 Skudai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.