Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sarawak Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sarawak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $912 in Sarawak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,297 in Sarawak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,682 in Sarawak.

Living in Phuket is roughly 34% more expensive than in Sarawak, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sarawak 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$3.62 MYR 14.90

24.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$18.54 MYR 76.3

151.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$5.42 MYR 22.30

56.64%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$2.73 MYR 11.24

12.82%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$0.72 MYR 2.95

-5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.40 MYR 1.63

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$7.62 MYR 31.35

-68.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.12 MYR 33.43

-55.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.79 MYR 7.35

22.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$0.96 MYR 3.96

88.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.31 MYR 5.38

70.23%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$2.14 MYR 8.81

4.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$15.15 MYR 62.4

29.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.65 MYR 10.92

40.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$9.41 MYR 38.71

43.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$2.97 MYR 12.24

13.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.46 MYR 6.01

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.61 MYR 10.75

-7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.45 MYR 5.97

37.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.17 MYR 4.83

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.33 MYR 5.49

9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$1.04 MYR 4.28

-2.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.63 MYR 2.58

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.14 MYR 17.06

3.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$21.73 MYR 89.4

-12.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$2.82 MYR 11.62

-34.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$2.90 MYR 11.95

-5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.68 MYR 2.81

108.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$11.61 MYR 47.78

0.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.20 MYR 4.93

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.99 MYR 4.09

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$5.72 MYR 23.54

143.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$0.47 MYR 1.92

174.47%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$35.9K MYR 147.8K

-21.94%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$31.1K MYR 128.0K

7.72%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$43.73 MYR 180

178.94%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$9.24 MYR 38.02

50.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$28.78 MYR 118

-34.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$36.39 MYR 150

68.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$5.83 MYR 24.00

188.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$4.89 MYR 20.13

81.80%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$189 MYR 779

265.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$6,959 MYR 28.6K

132.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$35.83 MYR 147

61.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$39.07 MYR 161

-9.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$76.2 MYR 314

48.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$56.7 MYR 233

46.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$329 MYR 1,356

84.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$272 MYR 1,120

64.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$516 MYR 2,125

292.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$356 MYR 1,466

319.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$1,898 MYR 7,809

88.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$932 MYR 3,836

177.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$412 MYR 1,695

22.51%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $329 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Sarawak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $251 per month, with Sarawak 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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarawak is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $329 in Sarawak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $189 in Sarawak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $912 in Sarawak versus $1,223 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 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.