Cost of Living Comparison Between Subang Jaya and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Subang Jaya and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $952 in Subang Jaya versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,459 in Subang Jaya versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,966 in Subang Jaya versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Subang Jaya costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Subang Jaya 31% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.08

$4.43 ฿145

-15.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.45 MYR 78.6

$35.07 ฿1,151

-44.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.71 MYR 19.05

$8.96 ฿294

-47.43%

Cappuccino

$2.92 MYR 11.81

$3.00 ฿98.4

-2.67%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.91

$0.77 ฿25.33

-6.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$0.47 ฿15.44

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 MYR 16.45

$2.40 ฿78.6

69.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 MYR 17.52

$3.75 ฿123

15.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.53

$1.82 ฿59.8

2.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MYR 4.45

$1.42 ฿46.65

-22.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 6.98

$1.55 ฿50.8

11.61%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.07

$2.13 ฿69.9

5.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 MYR 53.8

$19.76 ฿648

-32.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 MYR 19.56

$3.48 ฿114

39.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.77 MYR 35.41

$11.09 ฿364

-20.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MYR 11.54

$2.91 ฿95.5

-1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MYR 7.30

$1.66 ฿54.6

9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 MYR 9.54

$2.27 ฿74.5

3.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.66

$2.10 ฿68.8

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 MYR 4.50

$1.47 ฿48.24

-24.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.55

$1.41 ฿46.29

-19.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MYR 4.66

$1.09 ฿35.78

5.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$0.54 ฿17.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MYR 18.21

$4.48 ฿147

0.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.84 MYR 76.1

$18.72 ฿614

0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.11

$1.84 ฿60.4

63.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 MYR 16.52

$2.95 ฿96.7

38.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 MYR 3.58

$2.26 ฿74.1

-60.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.55 MYR 50.7

$23.07 ฿757

-45.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.06

$3.04 ฿99.9

-58.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MYR 1.63

$1.09 ฿35.82

-63.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 MYR 20.29

$3.82 ฿125

31.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 MYR 3.12

$1.49 ฿48.79

-48.32%

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

$42.1K MYR 170.3K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

53.59%

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

$34.8K MYR 140.7K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

26.57%

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

$37.97 MYR 153

$102 ฿3,340

-62.71%

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

$10.27 MYR 41.47

$11.28 ฿370

-8.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.24 MYR 122

$17.75 ฿582

70.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.41 MYR 98.6

$54.2 ฿1,777

-54.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.44 MYR 9.86

$10.96 ฿360

-77.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.28 MYR 21.32

$7.85 ฿258

-32.74%

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

$289 MYR 1,167

$577 ฿18.9K

-49.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 43.6K

$11.6K ฿381.6K

-7.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MYR 240

$65.4 ฿2,144

-9.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.48 MYR 143

$28.89 ฿948

22.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 MYR 343

$99.1 ฿3,250

-14.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 MYR 278

$90.3 ฿2,961

-23.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 MYR 2,302

$756 ฿24.8K

-24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 MYR 1,409

$487 ฿16.0K

-28.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 MYR 2,843

$2,085 ฿68.4K

-66.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$613 MYR 2,475

$1,207 ฿39.6K

-49.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,385 MYR 9,634

$3,591 ฿117.8K

-33.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,890 MYR 7,634

$2,610 ฿85.6K

-27.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$904 MYR 3,654

$502 ฿16.5K

80.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.57

-24.24%

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

Last update for Subang Jaya: August 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $570 in Subang Jaya and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Subang Jaya pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Subang Jaya vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $272 per month, with Subang Jaya 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

Subang Jaya vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subang Jaya is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 80% higher in Subang Jaya, 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: $570 in Subang Jaya versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $289 in Subang Jaya versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $952 in Subang Jaya versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Subang Jaya but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Subang Jaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Subang Jaya 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, Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.