Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sentul Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sentul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $924 in Sentul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,348 in Sentul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,771 in Sentul.

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than in Sentul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sentul 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.70 MYR 15.04

25.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$22.16 MYR 90.1

45.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$4.97 MYR 20.22

74.65%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.99 MYR 12.16

-3.01%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.85 MYR 3.44

-1.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.48 MYR 1.94

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.36 MYR 13.67

-26.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$5.77 MYR 23.46

-35.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.75 MYR 7.14

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.09 MYR 4.42

29.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.46 MYR 5.93

10.96%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.77 MYR 7.19

26.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$9.79 MYR 39.81

102.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$3.28 MYR 13.35

6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.90 MYR 40.27

14.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.37 MYR 13.70

-13.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.76 MYR 7.17

-2.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.79 MYR 11.35

-18.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.65 MYR 6.69

29.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.44 MYR 5.85

2.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.66 MYR 6.76

-14.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.38 MYR 5.63

-20.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.55 MYR 2.23

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.41 MYR 17.96

-2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$14.37 MYR 58.5

29.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.81 MYR 11.42

-35.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$3.14 MYR 12.76

-5.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.71 MYR 2.90

216.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$12.16 MYR 49.48

93.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.23 MYR 4.99

152.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.36 MYR 1.46

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$9.03 MYR 36.73

-57.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.78 MYR 3.18

83.33%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$43.0K MYR 175.1K

-35.43%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$33.7K MYR 137.0K

-19.87%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$49.11 MYR 200

113.40%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$8.28 MYR 33.70

37.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$26.87 MYR 109

-34.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$41.18 MYR 168

31.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$6.80 MYR 27.68

68.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.04 MYR 20.51

54.37%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$163 MYR 662

254.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$4,578 MYR 18.6K

152.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$52.1 MYR 212

22.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$16.80 MYR 68.3

73.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$79.8 MYR 324

20.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$40.83 MYR 166

120.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$426 MYR 1,733

72.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$330 MYR 1,343

51.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$696 MYR 2,830

205.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$495 MYR 2,013

153.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,052 MYR 8,350

72.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,126 MYR 4,581

132.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$897 MYR 3,650

-43.42%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sentul: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $426 in Sentul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sentul pays 77% 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 $22.00 in Sentul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $232 per month, with Sentul 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 Sentul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sentul is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Sentul. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $426 in Sentul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $163 in Sentul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $924 in Sentul versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sentul but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sentul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sentul 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 Sentul 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 Sentul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.