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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $815 in Sentul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,239 in Sentul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,663 in Sentul.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sentul 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.49 MYR 14.15

30.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$18.60 MYR 75.4

150.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.84 MYR 19.61

75.00%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.78 MYR 11.28

8.99%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.73 MYR 2.98

-5.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.46 MYR 1.86

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$3.61 MYR 14.62

-31.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.17 MYR 20.96

-29.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.81 MYR 7.35

20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.94 MYR 3.83

102.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.73 MYR 7.00

27.17%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.82 MYR 7.38

21.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.76 MYR 43.65

85.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.44 MYR 13.95

6.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.19 MYR 33.20

61.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.77 MYR 11.24

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.50 MYR 6.09

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.55 MYR 10.36

-6.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.22 MYR 4.94

70.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.19 MYR 4.84

33.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.38 MYR 5.58

7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.90 MYR 3.63

14.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.63 MYR 2.55

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.27 MYR 17.32

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$14.40 MYR 58.4

30.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.70 MYR 10.94

-34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.00 MYR 12.15

-8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.69 MYR 2.79

97.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$11.74 MYR 47.60

-3.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.98 MYR 3.98

220.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.99 MYR 4.00

5.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$9.43 MYR 38.25

46.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.46 MYR 1.85

191.30%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$31.5K MYR 127.9K

-12.27%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$27.9K MYR 113.0K

21.48%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$40.58 MYR 165

204.56%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.89 MYR 36.05

52.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$23.14 MYR 93.9

-19.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$37.26 MYR 151

65.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$5.97 MYR 24.21

188.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.86 MYR 19.70

88.07%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$185 MYR 751

279.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,840 MYR 27.7K

132.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$64.1 MYR 260

-7.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$28.43 MYR 115

23.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$58.2 MYR 236

98.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$47.93 MYR 194

75.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$383 MYR 1,552

61.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$268 MYR 1,085

61.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$645 MYR 2,616

219.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$475 MYR 1,924

218.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,219 MYR 8,998

64.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$982 MYR 3,982

167.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$877 MYR 3,557

-42.20%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Sentul: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $383 in Sentul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sentul pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Sentul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $221 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sentul earns 73% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $383 in Sentul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $185 in Sentul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $815 in Sentul versus $1,261 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.