Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sentul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sentul: $869 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Sentul
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Sentul Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Sentul

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sentul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Sentul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $869 in Sentul.

Phuket $1,278
Sentul $869

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,351 in Sentul.

Phuket $2,216
Sentul $1,351

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,833 in Sentul.

Phuket $3,154
Sentul $1,833

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than in Sentul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sentul 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.58 MYR 14.59

24.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$22.02 MYR 89.7

47.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.75 MYR 19.34

85.47%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.93 MYR 11.94

-3.41%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.82 MYR 3.35

6.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.51 MYR 2.09

-3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$3.27 MYR 13.33

-21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.82 MYR 23.71

-36.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.72 MYR 7.03

-3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.02 MYR 4.15

43.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.44 MYR 5.87

4.17%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.73 MYR 7.05

20.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$9.77 MYR 39.80

95.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.35 MYR 13.66

-1.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.69 MYR 39.47

12.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.30 MYR 13.46

-11.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.67 MYR 6.82

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.74 MYR 11.15

-17.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.60 MYR 6.52

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.42 MYR 5.78

6.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.68 MYR 6.83

-17.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.33 MYR 5.43

-19.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.54 MYR 2.20

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.33 MYR 17.66

-3.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$13.96 MYR 56.9

34.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.67 MYR 10.89

-31.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.04 MYR 12.38

-6.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.84 MYR 3.42

72.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$12.36 MYR 50.4

358.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.02 MYR 4.15

196.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.38 MYR 1.56

168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$8.91 MYR 36.30

-58.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.80 MYR 3.25

83.75%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$43.9K MYR 178.9K

-39.03%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$35.2K MYR 143.5K

-24.24%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$48.67 MYR 198

97.97%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.10 MYR 32.99

39.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$26.45 MYR 108

-36.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$38.55 MYR 157

74.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$7.36 MYR 30.00

45.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.86 MYR 19.79

54.32%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$234 MYR 953

103.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$4,527 MYR 18.4K

148.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$52.0 MYR 212

19.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$16.61 MYR 67.7

71.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$78.4 MYR 320

20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$85.6 MYR 349

0.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$426 MYR 1,736

68.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$275 MYR 1,122

78.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$825 MYR 3,362

133.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$528 MYR 2,152

170.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$2,029 MYR 8,269

105.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,176 MYR 4,792

158.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$872 MYR 3,552

-42.38%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sentul: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Sentul

$275 31.7% 43.9% $216

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Sentul

$228 26.2% 14.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Sentul

$83 9.6% 33.1% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sentul

$105 12.1% 14.1% $17

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sentul

$111 12.8% 8.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Sentul

$48 5.6% 41.3% $34

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Sentul

$19 2.2% 73.6% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $426 in Sentul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sentul pays 74% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $22 in Sentul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $228 per month, with Sentul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇾 Sentul

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

02:39 2:39 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

100,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Sentul 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sentul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 transport, groceries, and leisure. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $426 in Sentul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $234 in Sentul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Sentul is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.