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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $816 in Sentul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,242 in Sentul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,669 in Sentul.

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than in Sentul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Sentul 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.60 MYR 14.71

24.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$18.92 MYR 77.3

140.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.72 MYR 19.29

85.59%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.69 MYR 10.99

10.41%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.68 MYR 2.76

1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.49 MYR 2.01

-20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$3.64 MYR 14.86

-30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$5.14 MYR 20.99

-27.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.83 MYR 7.46

17.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.01 MYR 4.14

80.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.78 MYR 7.27

22.47%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.82 MYR 7.43

23.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$10.76 MYR 43.98

85.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.41 MYR 13.92

6.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$8.09 MYR 33.06

67.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.74 MYR 11.20

18.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.50 MYR 6.15

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$2.55 MYR 10.43

-8.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.22 MYR 4.98

69.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.14 MYR 4.65

35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.39 MYR 5.70

5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.95 MYR 3.88

3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.59 MYR 2.41

-18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$4.11 MYR 16.79

5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$13.90 MYR 56.8

33.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$2.70 MYR 11.04

-31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.90 MYR 11.86

-8.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.74 MYR 3.02

91.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$12.01 MYR 49.07

-3.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.02 MYR 4.18

210.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.98 MYR 4.02

5.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$9.19 MYR 37.57

51.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$0.47 MYR 1.92

185.11%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$31.4K MYR 128.2K

-11.42%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.9K MYR 113.9K

19.77%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$41.64 MYR 170

195.51%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$9.14 MYR 37.34

50.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$22.98 MYR 93.9

-20.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$36.23 MYR 148

67.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$5.74 MYR 23.45

198.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$5.07 MYR 20.71

74.95%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$190 MYR 777

261.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$6,842 MYR 28.0K

130.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$64.4 MYR 263

-7.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$28.21 MYR 115

22.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$58.6 MYR 239

96.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$48.03 MYR 196

74.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$392 MYR 1,603

58.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$265 MYR 1,085

68.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$633 MYR 2,586

221.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$473 MYR 1,933

216.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$2,330 MYR 9,521

48.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,020 MYR 4,169

148.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$877 MYR 3,585

-43.72%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sentul: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $392 in Sentul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sentul pays 78% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Sentul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $220 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 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 78% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $392 in Sentul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $190 in Sentul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $816 in Sentul versus $1,264 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 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.