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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $976 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,496 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,016 in Labuan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than in Labuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Labuan 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.49 MYR 22.41

-19.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$25.04 MYR 102

28.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.84 MYR 27.92

30.56%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.99 MYR 16.28

-27.32%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.07 MYR 4.37

-17.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.42 MYR 1.69

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$4.11 MYR 16.77

-42.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.77 MYR 15.37

-1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.77 MYR 7.23

5.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.09 MYR 4.45

34.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.43 MYR 5.84

8.39%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.91 MYR 7.78

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$16.99 MYR 69.3

15.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.54 MYR 18.50

-24.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$9.91 MYR 40.43

14.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$3.11 MYR 12.71

-4.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.84 MYR 7.49

-8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.38 MYR 9.71

-7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.39 MYR 5.66

55.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.34 MYR 5.48

13.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.22 MYR 4.97

9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.14 MYR 4.66

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.53 MYR 2.15

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.65 MYR 18.98

-8.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$21.54 MYR 87.9

-11.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.53 MYR 10.32

-29.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$3.39 MYR 13.81

-17.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.84 MYR 3.45

165.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$13.20 MYR 53.9

72.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.41 MYR 5.77

114.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.50 MYR 2.02

104.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.83 MYR 31.96

-50.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$0.78 MYR 3.18

91.03%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$43.6K MYR 178.0K

-39.07%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$31.3K MYR 127.5K

-13.51%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$50.1 MYR 204

104.45%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$9.61 MYR 39.18

17.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$28.20 MYR 115

-38.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$43.96 MYR 179

18.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$6.76 MYR 27.58

63.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.46 MYR 18.21

72.42%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$194 MYR 790

189.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$4,758 MYR 19.4K

141.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$60.6 MYR 247

3.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$34.51 MYR 141

-14.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$80.3 MYR 328

22.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$72.1 MYR 294

22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$452 MYR 1,845

63.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$311 MYR 1,270

54.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$701 MYR 2,858

200.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$521 MYR 2,124

135.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,900 MYR 7,751

90.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,043 MYR 4,255

149.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$375 MYR 1,531

31.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.2

32.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Labuan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $452 in Labuan. 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $268 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 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Phuket, 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: $738 in Phuket versus $452 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $194 in Labuan. 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 $976 in Labuan versus $1,232 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 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.