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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $888 in Sarawak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,280 in Sarawak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,672 in Sarawak.

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than Sarawak, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sarawak 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.59 MYR 14.17

28.97%

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

$5.22 MYR 20.63

69.35%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.73 MYR 10.78

9.89%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.77 MYR 3.04

-3.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.37 MYR 1.45

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$7.84 MYR 30.98

-68.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$8.53 MYR 33.70

-57.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.85 MYR 7.32

22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.93 MYR 3.69

97.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.25 MYR 4.95

79.20%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.14 MYR 8.47

8.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$15.25 MYR 60.2

28.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.55 MYR 10.06

43.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.61 MYR 37.95

36.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.90 MYR 11.44

16.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.46 MYR 5.76

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.51 MYR 9.90

-3.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.40 MYR 5.51

45.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.22 MYR 4.83

27.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.26 MYR 4.99

19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.04 MYR 4.12

-1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.67 MYR 2.65

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.34 MYR 17.14

2.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$16.87 MYR 66.7

11.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.86 MYR 11.30

-37.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.01 MYR 11.88

-8.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.68 MYR 2.70

105.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$11.95 MYR 47.20

-3.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.15 MYR 4.56

171.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.03 MYR 4.06

-2.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.72 MYR 22.59

146.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.47 MYR 1.84

187.23%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$34.9K MYR 137.8K

-22.06%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.6K MYR 124.7K

4.28%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$42.69 MYR 169

192.76%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.94 MYR 35.31

51.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$29.27 MYR 116

-36.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$36.53 MYR 144

68.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.72 MYR 22.58

194.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.01 MYR 19.80

83.43%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$187 MYR 741

272.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,906 MYR 27.3K

125.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$36.96 MYR 146

56.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$39.10 MYR 154

-9.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$78.6 MYR 310

43.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$57.2 MYR 226

51.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$329 MYR 1,299

87.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$269 MYR 1,063

65.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$500 MYR 1,976

309.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$351 MYR 1,388

324.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,801 MYR 7,112

109.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$886 MYR 3,498

199.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$438 MYR 1,731

19.56%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $329 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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 $241 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 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 20% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $329 in Sarawak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $187 in Sarawak. 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 $888 in Sarawak versus $1,232 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 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.