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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $984 in Sarawak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,433 in Sarawak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,882 in Sarawak.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than in Sarawak, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sarawak 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$3.79 MYR 15.32

16.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$19.59 MYR 79.2

79.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$4.84 MYR 19.54

85.12%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$3.00 MYR 12.13

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.80 MYR 3.23

-3.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.39 MYR 1.59

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$3.66 MYR 14.78

-34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$4.75 MYR 19.21

-21.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.73 MYR 6.99

5.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$0.97 MYR 3.90

46.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.48 MYR 5.98

4.73%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.78 MYR 7.17

19.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$15.77 MYR 63.7

25.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$4.81 MYR 19.44

-27.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$8.78 MYR 35.48

26.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.95 MYR 11.91

-1.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.91 MYR 7.71

-13.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$2.23 MYR 9.00

1.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.78 MYR 7.18

17.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.40 MYR 5.64

5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.08 MYR 4.36

30.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.32 MYR 5.32

-17.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.49 MYR 1.97

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$4.16 MYR 16.80

7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$19.02 MYR 76.9

-1.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$3.11 MYR 12.56

-40.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$3.44 MYR 13.91

-14.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.67 MYR 2.72

237.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$12.80 MYR 51.7

80.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$1.41 MYR 5.70

115.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.55 MYR 2.23

98.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$7.58 MYR 30.64

-49.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$0.69 MYR 2.78

115.94%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$40.2K MYR 162.5K

-31.77%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$31.2K MYR 125.8K

-11.68%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$43.06 MYR 174

136.44%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$10.59 MYR 42.79

6.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$29.67 MYR 120

-40.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$46.18 MYR 187

17.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$6.71 MYR 27.11

63.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$5.62 MYR 22.72

39.68%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$155 MYR 626

272.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$5,057 MYR 20.4K

129.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$64.7 MYR 261

1.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$35.21 MYR 142

-17.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$80.4 MYR 325

23.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$64.5 MYR 260

39.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$467 MYR 1,885

61.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$305 MYR 1,234

59.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$642 MYR 2,593

224.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$548 MYR 2,214

120.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$2,277 MYR 9,200

57.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,172 MYR 4,736

122.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$347 MYR 1,401

44.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.22

31.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $467 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 45% 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: $35.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Sarawak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $260 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 45% 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: $756 in Phuket versus $467 in Sarawak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $155 in Sarawak. 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 $984 in Sarawak versus $1,261 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 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.