Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sandakan, Sabah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sandakan, Sabah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $856 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,292 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,728 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than Sandakan, Sabah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sandakan, Sabah 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.34 MYR 9.26

97.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$18.94 MYR 74.8

147.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.80 MYR 18.95

84.17%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.56 MYR 10.10

17.19%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.65 MYR 2.59

13.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.23 MYR 0.91

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.37 MYR 9.38

2.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.59 MYR 14.19

0.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.73 MYR 6.82

30.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.24 MYR 4.88

48.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.16 MYR 4.59

93.10%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.80 MYR 11.07

-17.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$14.98 MYR 59.2

31.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.64 MYR 14.36

0.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.17 MYR 28.32

82.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.55 MYR 10.07

32.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.13 MYR 4.48

45.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.25 MYR 12.85

-25.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.99 MYR 7.85

2.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.23 MYR 4.85

26.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.28 MYR 5.06

17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.13 MYR 4.45

-9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.51 MYR 2.01

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.14 MYR 16.35

7.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$19.91 MYR 78.7

-5.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.92 MYR 7.57

-7.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.68 MYR 6.63

63.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.74 MYR 2.93

89.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$11.92 MYR 47.09

-3.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.15 MYR 4.53

171.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.02 MYR 4.04

-1.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.98 MYR 23.61

135.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.50 MYR 1.97

170.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$28.9K MYR 114.1K

-5.91%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.2K MYR 111.5K

16.59%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$47.11 MYR 186

165.29%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.51 MYR 13.87

286.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$23.73 MYR 93.8

-21.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$37.22 MYR 147

65.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.80 MYR 22.93

190.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.91 MYR 11.51

215.81%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$95.4 MYR 377

631.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,439 MYR 17.5K

251.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$58.8 MYR 232

-1.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$22.63 MYR 89.4

55.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$70.6 MYR 279

60.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$96.0 MYR 379

-9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$389 MYR 1,536

58.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$273 MYR 1,077

63.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$636 MYR 2,514

221.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$464 MYR 1,832

221.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,571 MYR 6,206

140.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$838 MYR 3,310

216.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$772 MYR 3,048

-32.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

77.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $389 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandakan, Sabah pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $242 per month, with Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandakan, Sabah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sandakan, Sabah earns 47% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $389 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $95.4 in Sandakan, Sabah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $856 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sandakan, Sabah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sandakan, Sabah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.