Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulu Tiram and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulu Tiram and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $842 in Ulu Tiram versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,284 in Ulu Tiram versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,725 in Ulu Tiram versus $3,339 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Ulu Tiram 37% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 MYR 14.21

$4.66 ฿150

-22.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.82 MYR 74.4

$46.44 ฿1,496

-59.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 MYR 18.13

$8.68 ฿280

-47.12%

Cappuccino

$2.72 MYR 10.73

$2.95 ฿95.0

-7.80%

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

$0.68 MYR 2.69

$0.70 ฿22.52

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.44

$0.39 ฿12.70

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 MYR 17.24

$2.53 ฿81.6

72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 MYR 26.72

$3.78 ฿122

79.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.31

$2.22 ฿71.5

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 3.94

$1.80 ฿57.8

-44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.09

$2.19 ฿70.4

-41.10%

Eggs

$1.82 MYR 7.18

$2.31 ฿74.5

-21.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.80 MYR 42.66

$19.34 ฿623

-44.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 MYR 16.08

$3.77 ฿121

7.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 MYR 31.19

$13.22 ฿426

-40.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 MYR 10.94

$3.33 ฿107

-16.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.81

$1.65 ฿53.1

-10.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 MYR 10.12

$2.29 ฿73.7

11.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.78

$1.99 ฿64.1

-39.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.65

$1.53 ฿49.24

-22.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.49

$1.51 ฿48.77

-7.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 MYR 3.46

$1.03 ฿33.12

-14.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MYR 2.50

$0.51 ฿16.57

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MYR 16.52

$4.41 ฿142

-5.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.47 MYR 69.0

$19.41 ฿625

-9.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 MYR 11.38

$1.80 ฿58.0

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 MYR 11.87

$2.68 ฿86.4

12.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.67

$1.43 ฿46.11

-52.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.92 MYR 47.08

$11.70 ฿377

1.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 MYR 3.91

$3.04 ฿97.9

-67.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 MYR 4.08

$1.04 ฿33.37

-0.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.48 MYR 37.46

$13.68 ฿441

-30.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 1.97

$1.30 ฿41.85

-61.54%

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

$34.9K MYR 137.8K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

25.03%

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

$33.4K MYR 132.1K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

1.19%

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

$45.05 MYR 178

$123 ฿3,962

-63.37%

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

$9.33 MYR 36.84

$13.82 ฿445

-32.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.41 MYR 120

$18.86 ฿608

61.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.32 MYR 143

$61.2 ฿1,970

-40.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.06 MYR 23.95

$16.81 ฿541

-63.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MYR 20.04

$8.87 ฿286

-42.84%

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

$189 MYR 745

$696 ฿22.4K

-72.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,784 MYR 26.8K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-57.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 MYR 256

$59.3 ฿1,910

9.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.50 MYR 73.1

$34.85 ฿1,123

-46.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 MYR 275

$113 ฿3,646

-38.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.81 MYR 189

$85.1 ฿2,740

-43.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 MYR 1,514

$615 ฿19.8K

-37.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 MYR 1,070

$448 ฿14.4K

-39.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 MYR 2,543

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-69.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MYR 1,849

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-68.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,744 MYR 6,888

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-53.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$874 MYR 3,452

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-67.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 MYR 3,438

$534 ฿17.2K

63.13%

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 Ulu Tiram: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $383 in Ulu Tiram and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulu Tiram pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19 in Ulu Tiram vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $291 per month, with Ulu Tiram 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

Ulu Tiram vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulu Tiram is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ulu Tiram pays 63% more on average, 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: $383 in Ulu Tiram versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $189 in Ulu Tiram 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 27% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $842 in Ulu Tiram versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulu Tiram but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ulu Tiram the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ulu Tiram 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, Ulu Tiram 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 Ulu Tiram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.