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: $809 in Skudai versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,238 in Skudai versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,667 in Skudai versus $3,339 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 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.47 MYR 13.71

$4.66 ฿150

-25.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.65 MYR 73.7

$46.44 ฿1,496

-59.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 MYR 18.40

$8.68 ฿280

-46.31%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 11.77

$2.95 ฿95.0

1.02%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.89

$0.70 ฿22.52

4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.46

$0.39 ฿12.70

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 MYR 13.84

$2.53 ฿81.6

38.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 MYR 19.43

$3.78 ฿122

30.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.40

$2.22 ฿71.5

-15.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MYR 3.88

$1.80 ฿57.8

-45.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 4.95

$2.19 ฿70.4

-42.92%

Eggs

$1.88 MYR 7.41

$2.31 ฿74.5

-18.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 MYR 41.65

$19.34 ฿623

-45.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 MYR 14.01

$3.77 ฿121

-5.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 MYR 33.02

$13.22 ฿426

-36.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 MYR 10.96

$3.33 ฿107

-16.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 5.97

$1.65 ฿53.1

-8.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 MYR 9.87

$2.29 ฿73.7

9.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.74

$1.99 ฿64.1

-39.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.71

$1.53 ฿49.24

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 MYR 5.32

$1.51 ฿48.77

-10.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 MYR 3.50

$1.03 ฿33.12

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.03

$0.51 ฿16.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.08

$4.41 ฿142

-2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.38 MYR 56.8

$19.41 ฿625

-25.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 MYR 10.79

$1.80 ฿58.0

51.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 MYR 11.61

$2.68 ฿86.4

9.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 2.91

$1.43 ฿46.11

-48.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.95 MYR 47.21

$11.70 ฿377

2.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 MYR 3.99

$3.04 ฿97.9

-66.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MYR 3.93

$1.04 ฿33.37

-4.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 MYR 37.55

$13.68 ฿441

-30.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 MYR 1.85

$1.30 ฿41.85

-63.85%

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

$31.5K MYR 124.4K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

12.90%

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

$27.6K MYR 109.1K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-16.37%

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

$40.65 MYR 161

$123 ฿3,962

-66.94%

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

$9.35 MYR 36.95

$13.82 ฿445

-32.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.69 MYR 89.6

$18.86 ฿608

20.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.95 MYR 146

$61.2 ฿1,970

-39.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 MYR 23.68

$16.81 ฿541

-64.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 MYR 20.05

$8.87 ฿286

-42.73%

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

$190 MYR 750

$696 ฿22.4K

-72.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,814 MYR 26.9K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-57.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.26 MYR 195

$59.3 ฿1,910

-16.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.59 MYR 73.5

$34.85 ฿1,123

-46.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 MYR 237

$113 ฿3,646

-46.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.05 MYR 186

$85.1 ฿2,740

-44.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MYR 1,527

$615 ฿19.8K

-37.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 MYR 1,071

$448 ฿14.4K

-39.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$635 MYR 2,507

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-69.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 MYR 1,868

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-68.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,753 MYR 6,923

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-53.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$880 MYR 3,477

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-66.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $386 in Skudai and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Skudai vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $291 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 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,213 in Skudai and $1,904 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: $386 in Skudai versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $190 in Skudai versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $809 in Skudai versus $1,270 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 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.