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: $828 in Skudai versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,256 in Skudai versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,683 in Skudai versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Skudai costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skudai 38% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.49 MYR 14.29

$4.53 ฿153

-22.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.56 MYR 75.9

$46.36 ฿1,562

-59.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.57

$8.65 ฿291

-44.74%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.21

$3.09 ฿104

-3.24%

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

$0.71 MYR 2.91

$0.68 ฿22.85

4.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.61

$0.37 ฿12.41

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 MYR 14.09

$2.42 ฿81.4

42.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 MYR 20.53

$3.81 ฿128

31.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.63

$2.18 ฿73.4

-14.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 MYR 3.87

$1.82 ฿61.2

-47.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.34

$2.18 ฿73.3

-39.91%

Eggs

$1.89 MYR 7.72

$2.24 ฿75.3

-15.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 MYR 43.34

$19.93 ฿671

-46.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 14.08

$3.64 ฿123

-5.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 MYR 33.52

$13.56 ฿457

-39.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 MYR 11.35

$3.29 ฿111

-15.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.23

$1.69 ฿56.8

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 MYR 10.14

$2.33 ฿78.6

6.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.17

$2.03 ฿68.3

-37.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 MYR 4.80

$1.60 ฿53.9

-26.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.65

$1.49 ฿50.4

-7.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$1.01 ฿34.11

-6.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.15

$0.48 ฿16.06

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MYR 17.70

$4.45 ฿150

-2.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 MYR 57.9

$18.63 ฿628

-23.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 MYR 11.18

$1.79 ฿60.2

52.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.91

$2.80 ฿94.2

3.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$1.42 ฿47.81

-48.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.85 MYR 48.46

$11.33 ฿382

4.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.19

$3.09 ฿104

-66.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MYR 4.04

$1.04 ฿35.13

-4.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.40 MYR 38.44

$13.63 ฿459

-31.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.03

$1.31 ฿44.15

-61.83%

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

$31.3K MYR 127.9K

$27.3K ฿919.1K

14.68%

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

$27.6K MYR 112.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-16.93%

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

$41.03 MYR 168

$123 ฿4,149

-66.69%

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

$8.90 MYR 36.42

$13.81 ฿465

-35.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.17 MYR 94.8

$18.52 ฿624

25.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.67 MYR 150

$60.4 ฿2,034

-39.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.74 MYR 23.46

$16.80 ฿566

-65.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.74

$8.89 ฿299

-45.67%

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

$187 MYR 765

$687 ฿23.1K

-72.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,839 MYR 28.0K

$15.6K ฿523.9K

-56.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.19 MYR 197

$57.6 ฿1,942

-16.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.56 MYR 75.9

$34.66 ฿1,168

-46.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.2 MYR 238

$115 ฿3,872

-49.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.25 MYR 193

$84.9 ฿2,860

-44.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 MYR 1,585

$618 ฿20.8K

-37.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MYR 1,096

$443 ฿14.9K

-39.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,621

$2,047 ฿69.0K

-68.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 MYR 1,920

$1,506 ฿50.7K

-68.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,945 MYR 7,955

$3,568 ฿120.2K

-45.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,258 MYR 5,143

$2,511 ฿84.6K

-49.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $388 in Skudai and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Skudai vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $292 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 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,242 in Skudai and $1,891 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: $388 in Skudai versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Skudai versus $687 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 $828 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 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.