Cost of Living Comparison Between Labuan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Labuan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Labuan versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,520 in Labuan versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,020 in Labuan versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Labuan costs roughly 19% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Labuan 26% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.73 MYR 23.15

$4.56 ฿151

25.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.06 MYR 101

$32.62 ฿1,082

-23.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 MYR 27.06

$8.90 ฿295

-24.83%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MYR 16.37

$2.80 ฿93.0

44.64%

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

$1.13 MYR 4.57

$0.88 ฿29.19

28.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.68

$0.49 ฿16.23

-16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 MYR 16.67

$2.39 ฿79.2

72.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 MYR 19.28

$3.71 ฿123

28.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 MYR 7.45

$1.79 ฿59.3

2.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.29

$1.44 ฿47.81

-26.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.92

$1.58 ฿52.6

-7.59%

Eggs

$1.94 MYR 7.84

$2.13 ฿70.5

-8.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.49 MYR 70.7

$19.92 ฿661

-12.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 MYR 18.27

$3.43 ฿114

31.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 MYR 39.06

$11.33 ฿376

-14.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MYR 13.52

$2.95 ฿97.8

13.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MYR 6.43

$1.72 ฿57.1

-7.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.19

$2.32 ฿77.1

8.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 6.96

$2.08 ฿69.0

-17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.76

$1.47 ฿48.77

-3.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.39

$1.36 ฿45.05

-19.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MYR 4.87

$1.10 ฿36.45

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.57 ฿19.06

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 MYR 20.59

$4.27 ฿142

19.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.91 MYR 72.4

$18.42 ฿611

-2.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 MYR 10.86

$1.87 ฿62.1

43.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 MYR 16.79

$2.92 ฿96.9

42.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MYR 2.64

$2.22 ฿73.6

-70.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.40 MYR 46.08

$22.90 ฿759

-50.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.89

$3.03 ฿101

-60.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.00

$1.07 ฿35.63

-53.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.73 MYR 31.27

$3.93 ฿130

96.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 MYR 3.19

$1.49 ฿49.49

-46.98%

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

$43.3K MYR 175.1K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

59.63%

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

$33.1K MYR 133.9K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

20.66%

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

$49.44 MYR 200

$103 ฿3,410

-51.91%

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

$10.25 MYR 41.43

$10.99 ฿365

-6.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.01 MYR 117

$17.51 ฿581

65.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 MYR 178

$53.5 ฿1,776

-17.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.76 MYR 23.27

$11.20 ฿371

-48.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 MYR 18.50

$7.48 ฿248

-38.77%

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

$165 MYR 665

$557 ฿18.5K

-70.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,895 MYR 19.8K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-58.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 MYR 223

$64.1 ฿2,125

-14.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.19 MYR 126

$29.07 ฿964

7.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 MYR 298

$96.0 ฿3,183

-23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.8 MYR 270

$90.3 ฿2,997

-26.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 MYR 1,895

$730 ฿24.2K

-35.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 MYR 1,329

$500 ฿16.6K

-34.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 MYR 2,611

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-69.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 MYR 1,869

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-61.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,199 MYR 8,892

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-38.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 MYR 4,681

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-53.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$367 MYR 1,485

$503 ฿16.7K

-27.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

5.57

-24.60%

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

Last update for Labuan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $469 in Labuan and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 37% 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: $25.00 in Labuan vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $273 per month, with Labuan 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

Labuan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 37% 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: $469 in Labuan versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $165 in Labuan versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Labuan versus $1,253 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.