Kuala Lumpur vs Phuket - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kuala Lumpur Phuket
🚶 Cost of living one person
$892
$985
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2135
$3235
🏠 One person rent
$450
$544
🏘️ Family rent
$787
$1720
🍽️ Food expenses
$295
$308
🚐 Transport expenses
$69.6
$30.3
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1450
$742
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
16 km
27 km
🎓 Higher education
93
7
😀 Quality of life
76
53
🏙️ Population
1.98M
77.6K

The cost of living in Kuala Lumpur is 9% less expensive than in Phuket. Cities ranked 6160th and 5798th ($892 vs $985) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 2nd in Malaysia and Thailand, respectively. Check Malaysia vs Thailand comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months in Kuala Lumpur compared to 0.8 months in Phuket. Kuala Lumpur ranked 1st best city to live in Malaysia vs Phuket ranked 6th in Thailand, while ranked 883rd and 6033rd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Kuala Lumpur vs Phuket infographic

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Prices in Kuala Lumpur vs Phuket

Prices for goods and services in Kuala Lumpur and Phuket are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Kuala Lumpur Phuket
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$4.35
$4.63
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$27.4
$36.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$4.78
$7.72
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$4.99
$2.94
☕ Cappuccino
$3.17
$2.47
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.85
$0.78
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$495
$498
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$343
$439
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1006
$1825
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$604
$1525
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$48.4
$76.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$75.4
$118
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$27.7
$16.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.53%
4.8%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3145
$4213
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1425
$2936
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.72
$1.37
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$12.4
$11
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$9.79
$11.6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.51
$1.28
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.05
$1.93
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.02
$1.73
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.42
$1.58
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.5
$2.25
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.7
$26
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.14
$3.23
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.2
$10.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.94
$3.19
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.61
$1.18
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.88
$1.8
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.55
$1.51
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$1.57
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.15
$1.2
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.46
$0.34
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.2
$1.3
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$17.6
$21.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.2
$1.74
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.31
$4.48
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$3.47
$3.38
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.34
$2.46
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.46
$1.35
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.21
$1.46
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$46.4
$58.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.89
$9.26
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$20
$29.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.4
$5.56
👖 Brand Jeans
$59.8
$69.3
👟 Brand Sneakers
$80.1
$107
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$259
$748
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9485
$13132

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Kuala Lumpur

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.7 mi Petaling Jaya
$738
15 km or 9.1 mi Subang Jaya
$732
19 km or 12 mi Shah Alam
$687
24 km or 15 mi Putrajaya
$571
25 km or 16 mi Cyberjaya
$617
30 km or 19 mi Klang
$729
54 km or 33 mi Seremban
$630
123 km or 77 mi Malacca
$699
124 km or 77 mi Teluk Intan
$673
155 km or 97 mi Muar
$752
167 km or 104 mi Dumai
$585
176 km or 109 mi Ipoh
$670
196 km or 122 mi Kuantan
$518
199 km or 124 mi Batu Pahat
$750
211 km or 131 mi Tanjungbalai
$538
217 km or 135 mi Taiping
$759
219 km or 136 mi Kluang
$745
229 km or 142 mi Chukai
$579
282 km or 175 mi Tebing Tinggi
$504
291 km or 181 mi Butterworth
$671
291 km or 181 mi Kuala Terengganu
$544
292 km or 181 mi Pekanbaru
$590
293 km or 182 mi Pematangsiantar
$518
294 km or 183 mi George Town
$669
297 km or 184 mi Johor Bahru
$709
309 km or 192 mi Sungai Petani
$637
311 km or 193 mi Singapore City
$3168
315 km or 195 mi Bukit Merah
$2852
335 km or 208 mi Padangsidempuan
$624
338 km or 210 mi Kota Bharu
$517
341 km or 212 mi Medan
$519
346 km or 215 mi Batam
$604
360 km or 224 mi Binjai
$503
361 km or 225 mi Alor Setar
$523
394 km or 245 mi Tanjung Pinang
$549
402 km or 250 mi Kangar
$563
413 km or 257 mi Langkawi
$594
441 km or 274 mi Langsa
$490
451 km or 280 mi Hat Yai
$561
457 km or 284 mi Ko Lipe
$742

Cities near Phuket

Distance City Cost of living
48 km or 30 mi Ao Nang
$822
60 km or 38 mi Krabi
$807
76 km or 47 mi Ko Lanta
$799
173 km or 107 mi Surat Thani
$635
183 km or 114 mi Nakhon Si Thammarat
$795
185 km or 115 mi Ko Lipe
$742
231 km or 143 mi Langkawi
$594
248 km or 154 mi Hat Yai
$561
248 km or 154 mi Ko Samui
$745
256 km or 159 mi Kangar
$563
269 km or 167 mi Ko Pha-ngan
$763
289 km or 180 mi Ko Tao
$806
293 km or 182 mi Alor Setar
$523
331 km or 206 mi Lhokseumawe
$461
339 km or 211 mi Sungai Petani
$637
348 km or 216 mi George Town
$669
352 km or 219 mi Butterworth
$671
384 km or 238 mi Langsa
$490
425 km or 264 mi Taiping
$759
428 km or 266 mi Banda Aceh
$421
468 km or 291 mi Kota Bharu
$517
470 km or 292 mi Ipoh
$670
470 km or 292 mi Medan
$519
477 km or 296 mi Binjai
$503
507 km or 315 mi Myeik
$570
514 km or 319 mi Tebing Tinggi
$504
517 km or 321 mi Teluk Intan
$673
548 km or 340 mi Hua Hin
$676
553 km or 344 mi Pematangsiantar
$518
569 km or 353 mi Tanjungbalai
$538
596 km or 370 mi Kuala Terengganu
$544
625 km or 388 mi Nong Prue
$773
625 km or 389 mi Pattaya
$800
637 km or 396 mi Klang
$729
637 km or 396 mi Shah Alam
$687
638 km or 396 mi Sihanoukville
$754
638 km or 396 mi Ko Chang
$697
639 km or 397 mi Petaling Jaya
$738
641 km or 398 mi Laem Chabang
$769
641 km or 398 mi Kuala Lumpur
$892