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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $840 in Kota Kinabalu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,352 in Kota Kinabalu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,865 in Kota Kinabalu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 51% more expensive than Kota Kinabalu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kota Kinabalu 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.50 MYR 13.89

34.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$19.05 MYR 75.6

138.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.67 MYR 18.53

80.51%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.60 MYR 10.32

12.69%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.69 MYR 2.72

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.37 MYR 1.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.38 MYR 9.45

1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.51 MYR 13.91

5.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.68 MYR 6.66

32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.24 MYR 4.91

47.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.70 MYR 6.72

27.65%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.89 MYR 11.47

-23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$25.74 MYR 102

-23.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.44 MYR 13.65

5.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.43 MYR 29.45

82.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.56 MYR 10.16

28.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.16 MYR 4.62

38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.14 MYR 12.46

-23.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.91 MYR 7.58

8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.52 MYR 6.02

0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.71 MYR 6.79

-13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.13 MYR 4.49

-12.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.47 MYR 1.88

8.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.23 MYR 16.79

4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$16.30 MYR 64.6

18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.85 MYR 7.35

-3.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.61 MYR 6.37

68.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.51 MYR 6.00

-9.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$41.03 MYR 163

-72.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.90 MYR 7.54

58.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.46 MYR 1.84

115.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.75 MYR 22.80

145.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.46 MYR 1.82

195.65%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$29.6K MYR 117.2K

-4.61%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.1K MYR 107.6K

21.21%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$51.6 MYR 205

135.67%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.22 MYR 36.55

47.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$32.25 MYR 128

-43.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$43.54 MYR 173

38.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$2.99 MYR 11.87

473.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.73 MYR 18.76

83.72%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$132 MYR 523

425.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,506 MYR 17.9K

248.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$60.6 MYR 240

-1.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$22.99 MYR 91.2

51.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$71.4 MYR 283

60.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$94.5 MYR 375

-11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$372 MYR 1,473

65.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$168 MYR 667

159.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$641 MYR 2,540

226.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$368 MYR 1,461

309.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,889 MYR 7,492

98.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,133 MYR 4,492

130.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$598 MYR 2,370

-14.99%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $372 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Kota Kinabalu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $269 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 51% 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, Kota Kinabalu earns 18% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $372 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 260% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $132 in Kota Kinabalu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $840 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,265 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 $840 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 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.