Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sibu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sibu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $802 in Sibu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,227 in Sibu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,652 in Sibu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than in Sibu, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Sibu 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.16 MYR 8.84

107.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$8.61 MYR 35.20

429.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.18 MYR 17.10

109.57%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.08 MYR 8.50

42.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.63 MYR 2.59

9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.23 MYR 0.93

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.85 MYR 11.65

-11.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$5.08 MYR 20.77

-26.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.39 MYR 5.67

54.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.35 MYR 5.53

34.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.15 MYR 4.70

89.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.53 MYR 6.24

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$14.98 MYR 61.2

33.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.67 MYR 19.07

-22.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$5.98 MYR 24.42

126.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.99 MYR 12.20

8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.16 MYR 4.75

41.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.93 MYR 7.87

20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$3.50 MYR 14.29

-40.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.19 MYR 4.86

30.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$2.33 MYR 9.54

-37.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.05 MYR 4.28

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$1.20 MYR 4.89

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$4.06 MYR 16.58

7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$19.77 MYR 80.8

-6.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.22 MYR 5.00

52.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$3.90 MYR 15.96

-32.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.72 MYR 2.96

97.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$11.95 MYR 48.84

-3.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.21 MYR 4.94

161.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.99 MYR 4.06

4.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$5.80 MYR 23.70

139.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$0.47 MYR 1.90

185.11%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$35.5K MYR 145.1K

-21.72%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$31.8K MYR 129.9K

5.06%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$42.92 MYR 175

186.70%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$5.16 MYR 21.11

166.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$18.36 MYR 75.1

-0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$22.98 MYR 93.9

164.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$5.80 MYR 23.69

195.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$3.22 MYR 13.17

175.47%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$185 MYR 756

271.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$6,983 MYR 28.5K

125.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$60.4 MYR 247

-1.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$27.03 MYR 110

28.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$71.7 MYR 293

60.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$49.94 MYR 204

67.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$392 MYR 1,603

58.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$269 MYR 1,097

66.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$653 MYR 2,670

211.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$465 MYR 1,899

222.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$2,325 MYR 9,502

48.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,259 MYR 5,145

101.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$489 MYR 1,998

0.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.25

25.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sibu: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Phuket pays 1% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Sibu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $252 per month, with Sibu 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 Sibu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Phuket, 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: $621 in Phuket versus $392 in Sibu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $185 in Sibu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $802 in Sibu versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sibu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sibu 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 Sibu 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 Sibu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.