Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kota Kinabalu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kota Kinabalu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $848 in Kota Kinabalu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,331 in Kota Kinabalu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,814 in Kota Kinabalu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than in Kota Kinabalu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kota Kinabalu 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.52 MYR 14.41

29.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$18.53 MYR 75.8

149.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.62 MYR 18.88

91.34%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.70 MYR 11.04

13.33%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.65 MYR 2.64

12.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.39 MYR 1.60

2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.40 MYR 9.80

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.53 MYR 14.42

7.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.76 MYR 7.19

28.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.21 MYR 4.95

49.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.75 MYR 7.17

28.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.78 MYR 11.35

-19.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$26.05 MYR 107

-25.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.61 MYR 14.77

1.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.06 MYR 28.87

84.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.52 MYR 10.29

28.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.16 MYR 4.76

39.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.20 MYR 13.07

-25.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.98 MYR 8.10

2.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.51 MYR 6.17

1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.77 MYR 7.26

-15.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.13 MYR 4.63

-13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.51 MYR 2.07

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.17 MYR 17.07

6.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$15.66 MYR 64.0

16.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.92 MYR 7.84

-3.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.62 MYR 6.62

65.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.56 MYR 6.36

-9.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$40.74 MYR 167

-71.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.86 MYR 7.60

67.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.47 MYR 1.90

121.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$5.77 MYR 23.61

144.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.46 MYR 1.89

184.78%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$29.4K MYR 120.0K

-5.23%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.2K MYR 111.4K

21.99%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$52.5 MYR 215

133.40%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.29 MYR 38.00

46.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$33.03 MYR 135

-43.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$43.88 MYR 179

37.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$2.99 MYR 12.22

467.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.56 MYR 18.63

98.90%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$128 MYR 525

450.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,486 MYR 18.3K

252.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$59.4 MYR 243

-1.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$23.13 MYR 94.6

52.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$70.8 MYR 290

63.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$93.8 MYR 384

-10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$378 MYR 1,546

65.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$168 MYR 687

165.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$650 MYR 2,658

213.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$362 MYR 1,483

311.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,793 MYR 7,334

94.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,086 MYR 4,440

137.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$595 MYR 2,432

-15.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.8

40.26%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $378 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Kota Kinabalu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $270 per month, with Kota Kinabalu 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

Phuket vs Kota Kinabalu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kota Kinabalu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Kota Kinabalu. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $378 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kota Kinabalu runs roughly 248% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $128 in Kota Kinabalu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $848 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kota Kinabalu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kota Kinabalu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kota Kinabalu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $848 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kota Kinabalu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.