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 $935 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,414 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,894 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than in Sandakan, Sabah, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Sandakan, Sabah 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.73 MYR 15.27

18.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$19.29 MYR 79.0

67.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$4.84 MYR 19.80

84.50%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.04 MYR 12.45

-4.61%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.78 MYR 3.18

12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.42 MYR 1.72

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$3.46 MYR 14.15

-32.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.08 MYR 16.72

-8.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.81 MYR 7.40

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.94 MYR 3.83

56.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.49 MYR 6.12

4.03%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.97 MYR 8.08

6.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$15.08 MYR 61.7

29.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.70 MYR 19.23

-27.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$9.86 MYR 40.35

15.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$3.24 MYR 13.25

-8.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.49 MYR 6.09

12.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.63 MYR 10.77

-15.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.70 MYR 6.96

27.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.23 MYR 5.03

23.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.32 MYR 5.42

1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.20 MYR 4.90

-5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.54 MYR 2.21

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.27 MYR 17.47

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$19.61 MYR 80.3

-2.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.76 MYR 11.29

-35.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$3.60 MYR 14.73

-22.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.72 MYR 2.95

209.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$13.62 MYR 55.8

66.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.23 MYR 5.05

146.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.55 MYR 2.25

85.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$7.96 MYR 32.58

-51.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.86 MYR 3.53

73.26%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$45.3K MYR 185.6K

-41.37%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$35.7K MYR 146.2K

-24.31%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$49.78 MYR 204

105.85%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$9.54 MYR 39.05

18.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$28.40 MYR 116

-38.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$41.14 MYR 168

26.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$6.43 MYR 26.31

72.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.92 MYR 20.15

56.30%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$179 MYR 734

212.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$5,286 MYR 21.6K

117.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$59.9 MYR 245

5.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$32.05 MYR 131

-7.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$81.4 MYR 333

20.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$67.0 MYR 274

32.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$467 MYR 1,913

57.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$290 MYR 1,187

66.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$718 MYR 2,940

193.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$507 MYR 2,077

141.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$1,942 MYR 7,948

86.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,167 MYR 4,778

122.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,252 MYR 5,125

-60.58%

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 Sandakan, Sabah: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $467 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandakan, Sabah pays 154% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $262 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, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 154% lower in Sandakan, Sabah. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $467 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $179 in Sandakan, Sabah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $935 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.