Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Labuan and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Labuan: $1,020 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
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Labuan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Labuan and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Labuan and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Labuan versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Labuan $1,020
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,487 in Labuan versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Labuan $1,487
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,953 in Labuan versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Labuan $1,953
Phuket $2,867

Living in Labuan costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Labuan 24% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 MYR 22.53

$4.58 ฿153

20.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.16 MYR 98.6

$32.48 ฿1,086

-25.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 MYR 27.19

$8.55 ฿286

-22.11%

Cappuccino

$3.93 MYR 16.05

$2.72 ฿91.0

44.49%

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

$1.06 MYR 4.34

$0.94 ฿31.25

12.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$0.49 ฿16.39

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$2.59 ฿86.6

43.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.48

$3.83 ฿128

18.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.43

$1.74 ฿58.1

4.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$1.43 ฿47.82

-27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.07

$1.53 ฿51.0

-2.61%

Eggs

$2.10 MYR 8.58

$2.17 ฿72.7

-3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 MYR 68.6

$19.15 ฿640

-12.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.42 MYR 18.03

$3.30 ฿110

33.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 MYR 38.76

$11.14 ฿372

-14.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.95

$2.95 ฿98.5

7.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.46

$1.68 ฿56.1

8.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 MYR 9.75

$2.30 ฿76.8

3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.17

$2.13 ฿71.3

-17.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$1.53 ฿51.1

-9.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.20

$1.36 ฿45.55

-24.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$1.12 ฿37.44

5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.20

$0.55 ฿18.24

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 MYR 20.57

$4.26 ฿142

18.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 MYR 66.5

$18.19 ฿608

-10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 MYR 13.11

$1.74 ฿58.2

84.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MYR 17.90

$2.79 ฿93.3

57.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$2.22 ฿74.1

-64.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.66 MYR 43.48

$22.06 ฿737

-51.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MYR 5.47

$2.91 ฿97.3

-53.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$1.01 ฿33.79

-52.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 MYR 26.43

$3.83 ฿128

69.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.58

$1.49 ฿49.85

-40.94%

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

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

64.92%

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

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

21.79%

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

$48.90 MYR 199

$99.4 ฿3,321

-50.79%

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

$9.68 MYR 39.49

$11.28 ฿377

-14.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.69 MYR 113

$17.36 ฿580

59.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.60 MYR 170

$52.3 ฿1,747

-20.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 MYR 31.32

$10.85 ฿362

-29.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$7.57 ฿253

-43.33%

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

$208 MYR 849

$558 ฿18.7K

-62.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,011 MYR 28.6K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-38.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MYR 228

$62.9 ฿2,102

-11.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.07 MYR 123

$28.58 ฿955

5.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 MYR 355

$96.1 ฿3,213

-9.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 MYR 334

$88.1 ฿2,943

-7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 MYR 1,768

$729 ฿24.4K

-40.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 MYR 1,397

$460 ฿15.4K

-25.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,614

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-69.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 MYR 1,892

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-62.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,282 MYR 9,308

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-34.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MYR 4,636

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-54.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$374 MYR 1,525

$493 ฿16.5K

-24.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.57

-27.11%

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

Last update for Labuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Labuan

$342 33.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 34.3% $118

Groceries & Markets

Labuan

$264 25.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 1.3% $3.4

Eating Out

Labuan

$145 14.2%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 16.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Labuan

$115 11.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 8.2% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Labuan

$86 8.5%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 48.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Labuan

$50 4.9%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 34.3% $17

Getting Around

Labuan

$18 1.7%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 122% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Labuan and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Labuan vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $268 per month, with Labuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Labuan

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

09:39 9:39 AM

1 h behind Labuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,120

79,308

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Labuan Phuket 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Labuan
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Labuan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $433 in Labuan versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Labuan versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Labuan versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Labuan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Labuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Labuan 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, Labuan 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 Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.