Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skudai and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Skudai: $900 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Skudai
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Skudai Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Skudai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$900

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skudai and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Skudai and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $900 in Skudai versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Skudai $900
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,370 in Skudai versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Skudai $1,370
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,840 in Skudai versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Skudai $1,840
Phuket $3,154

Living in Skudai costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skudai 34% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 MYR 14.82

$4.47 ฿151

-18.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.25 MYR 74.5

$32.41 ฿1,094

-43.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 20.03

$8.81 ฿297

-44.38%

Cappuccino

$2.87 MYR 11.72

$2.83 ฿95.4

1.41%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$0.87 ฿29.42

-4.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$0.49 ฿16.66

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MYR 13.61

$2.56 ฿86.4

30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 MYR 22.95

$3.68 ฿124

52.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$1.66 ฿56.0

4.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$1.46 ฿49.34

-30.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.06

$1.50 ฿50.5

-1.33%

Eggs

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$2.09 ฿70.5

-20.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 MYR 39.40

$19.07 ฿644

-49.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.20 MYR 13.07

$3.30 ฿111

-3.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.61 MYR 39.24

$10.91 ฿368

-11.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 MYR 13.96

$2.93 ฿98.9

16.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$1.69 ฿57.0

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.68

$2.25 ฿75.8

16.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.68

$2.08 ฿70.1

-21.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.74

$1.51 ฿51.0

-6.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.08

$1.38 ฿46.55

25.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MYR 5.59

$1.07 ฿35.98

28.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.52 ฿17.52

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MYR 17.48

$4.20 ฿142

1.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 MYR 56.5

$18.79 ฿634

-26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 MYR 11.18

$1.82 ฿61.5

50.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.21

$2.84 ฿95.9

5.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$1.45 ฿49.01

-42.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.95 MYR 44.74

$56.7 ฿1,913

-80.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 MYR 4.13

$3.02 ฿102

-66.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$1.02 ฿34.35

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 MYR 36.89

$3.69 ฿125

144.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.50

$1.47 ฿49.79

-41.50%

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

$44.3K MYR 180.8K

$26.8K ฿904.0K

65.33%

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

$36.0K MYR 147.1K

$26.7K ฿901.1K

34.90%

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

$48.79 MYR 199

$96.4 ฿3,253

-49.36%

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

$8.16 MYR 33.35

$11.26 ฿380

-27.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.88 MYR 110

$16.85 ฿569

59.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.95 MYR 151

$67.2 ฿2,270

-45.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.55 MYR 30.84

$10.73 ฿362

-29.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MYR 20.16

$7.50 ฿253

-34.27%

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

$235 MYR 961

$476 ฿16.1K

-50.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,393 MYR 17.9K

$11.3K ฿380.2K

-61.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 MYR 206

$62.4 ฿2,105

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 MYR 67.9

$28.41 ฿959

-41.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 MYR 316

$94.3 ฿3,183

-18.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 MYR 349

$85.8 ฿2,897

-0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 MYR 1,460

$716 ฿24.2K

-50.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 MYR 1,269

$491 ฿16.6K

-36.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MYR 2,657

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-66.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 MYR 2,308

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-60.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,956 MYR 7,990

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-53.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,161 MYR 4,742

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-61.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

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 Skudai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Skudai

$311 34.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 58% $180

Groceries & Markets

Skudai

$226 25.2%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 17.6% $40

Eating Out

Skudai

$111 12.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 9.5% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Skudai

$103 11.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 17.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skudai

$84 9.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 48.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Skudai

$47 5.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 75.6% $35

Getting Around

Skudai

$17 1.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 314% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $357 in Skudai and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18 in Skudai vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $266 per month, with Skudai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Skudai

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

23:02 11:02 PM

1 h behind Skudai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,733

79,308

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.57 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.76 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Skudai Phuket 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Skudai
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 transport, groceries, and leisure. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,349 in Skudai and $1,917 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: $357 in Skudai versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $235 in Skudai versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $900 in Skudai versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.