Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sarawak

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $933 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sarawak

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Sarawak actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $933 in Sarawak.

Phuket $1,208
Sarawak $933

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,391 in Sarawak.

Phuket $2,027
Sarawak $1,391

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,849 in Sarawak.

Phuket $2,845
Sarawak $1,849

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Sarawak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Sarawak 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$3.65 MYR 14.88

20.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$19.77 MYR 80.6

63.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.75 MYR 19.38

84.42%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.88 MYR 11.74

-1.74%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.81 MYR 3.29

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.39 MYR 1.61

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$3.60 MYR 14.68

-29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.61 MYR 18.81

-16.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.86 MYR 7.58

-6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.04 MYR 4.24

41.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.48 MYR 6.04

2.03%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.04 MYR 8.32

6.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$13.84 MYR 56.5

42.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$4.30 MYR 17.54

-22.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$9.43 MYR 38.47

18.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.14 MYR 12.83

-9.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.71 MYR 6.97

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.51 MYR 10.22

-12.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.61 MYR 6.55

27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.27 MYR 5.18

14.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.15 MYR 4.68

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.17 MYR 4.79

-8.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.53 MYR 2.18

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.54 MYR 18.52

-6.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$19.12 MYR 78.0

-2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$2.94 MYR 12.01

-39.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$4.51 MYR 18.38

-36.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.71 MYR 2.89

218.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$12.15 MYR 49.57

81.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.25 MYR 5.10

140.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.51 MYR 2.07

107.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$7.21 MYR 29.41

-46.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.82 MYR 3.34

76.83%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$42.2K MYR 172.1K

-37.60%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$34.8K MYR 141.8K

-22.50%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$48.56 MYR 198

98.48%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$9.65 MYR 39.38

14.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$27.71 MYR 113

-38.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$40.76 MYR 166

28.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$7.10 MYR 28.98

57.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$4.92 MYR 20.05

58.74%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$190 MYR 775

192.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$7,067 MYR 28.8K

63.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$56.8 MYR 232

13.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$34.52 MYR 141

-16.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$79.8 MYR 325

19.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$75.9 MYR 310

15.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$410 MYR 1,674

79.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$299 MYR 1,219

54.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$672 MYR 2,742

211.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$477 MYR 1,946

151.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,042 MYR 8,329

70.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,074 MYR 4,381

134.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$339 MYR 1,381

47.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.06

37.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Sarawak

$299 32% 35.4% $164

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Sarawak

$258 27.6% 4.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Sarawak

$86 9.2% 31% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Sarawak

$111 11.9% 10.6% $13

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Sarawak

$110 11.8% 9.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Sarawak

$51 5.4% 25.4% $17

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Sarawak

$19 2% 52.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $410 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 48% 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 $20.00 in Sarawak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $258 per month, with Sarawak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🕒 Local time

00:00 12:00 AM

01:00 1:00 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Sarawak 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sarawak

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarawak is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $737 in Phuket versus $410 in Sarawak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $190 in Sarawak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $933 in Sarawak versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarawak but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sarawak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sarawak 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 Sarawak 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 Sarawak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.