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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $897 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,368 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,838 in Labuan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 41% more expensive than Labuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Labuan 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.15 MYR 20.43

-8.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$23.23 MYR 92.1

95.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.52 MYR 25.85

29.29%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.83 MYR 15.18

-23.50%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.06 MYR 4.22

-34.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.43 MYR 1.70

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.61 MYR 14.30

-33.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.99 MYR 19.77

-25.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.66 MYR 6.59

34.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.01 MYR 3.99

81.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.25 MYR 4.95

73.60%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.06 MYR 8.16

7.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.75 MYR 58.5

33.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.23 MYR 16.79

-14.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.67 MYR 38.33

39.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.85 MYR 11.30

15.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.52 MYR 6.04

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.62 MYR 10.38

-8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.37 MYR 5.45

51.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.24 MYR 4.93

23.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.32 MYR 5.25

12.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.03 MYR 4.10

-3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.56 MYR 2.23

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.34 MYR 17.22

1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$18.93 MYR 75.1

2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.81 MYR 11.15

-36.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.92 MYR 11.57

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.69 MYR 2.75

98.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$11.90 MYR 47.20

-4.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.15 MYR 4.54

162.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.04 MYR 4.10

-4.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.95 MYR 23.60

136.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.50 MYR 1.97

172.00%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.8K MYR 138.1K

-19.02%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.9K MYR 126.3K

3.26%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$43.79 MYR 174

177.92%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.31 MYR 36.93

45.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$28.94 MYR 115

-36.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$37.15 MYR 147

62.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.80 MYR 22.99

195.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.97 MYR 19.69

74.85%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$190 MYR 753

264.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,898 MYR 27.4K

127.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$61.9 MYR 245

-3.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$27.83 MYR 110

24.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$73.2 MYR 290

56.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$50.8 MYR 201

63.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$386 MYR 1,529

59.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$265 MYR 1,053

64.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$656 MYR 2,600

219.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$468 MYR 1,854

222.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,705 MYR 6,761

119.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$891 MYR 3,532

193.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$382 MYR 1,514

33.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.07

30.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Labuan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $386 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 33% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $250 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

Phuket vs Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 33% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $386 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $190 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $897 in Labuan versus $1,265 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, Phuket and Labuan 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 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.