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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $821 in Sibu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,237 in Sibu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,653 in Sibu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 54% more expensive than Sibu, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.10 MYR 8.43

123.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$8.41 MYR 33.74

439.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.00 MYR 16.03

110.75%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.13 MYR 8.52

37.56%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.60 MYR 2.39

15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.23 MYR 0.92

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.84 MYR 11.40

-15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.95 MYR 19.86

-24.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.39 MYR 5.56

60.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.33 MYR 5.32

37.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.20 MYR 4.81

80.83%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.55 MYR 6.22

42.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.94 MYR 59.9

32.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.68 MYR 18.77

-22.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$5.93 MYR 23.78

128.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.04 MYR 12.20

7.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.21 MYR 4.83

33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.87 MYR 7.50

28.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$3.48 MYR 13.95

-40.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.25 MYR 5.00

22.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.31 MYR 9.27

-35.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.99 MYR 3.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.20 MYR 4.83

-57.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.94 MYR 15.81

11.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$18.02 MYR 72.3

7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.22 MYR 4.88

45.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$4.09 MYR 16.41

-33.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.73 MYR 2.92

87.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$11.84 MYR 47.46

-3.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.20 MYR 4.80

151.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.98 MYR 3.93

1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.83 MYR 23.38

141.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.50 MYR 1.99

172.00%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.7K MYR 139.2K

-18.78%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.4K MYR 125.7K

4.92%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$43.93 MYR 176

177.03%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$5.12 MYR 20.53

165.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$18.25 MYR 73.2

0.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$23.20 MYR 93.1

159.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.79 MYR 23.20

196.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.09 MYR 12.40

181.23%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$190 MYR 762

265.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,990 MYR 28.0K

124.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$61.0 MYR 245

-2.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$27.04 MYR 108

28.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$72.0 MYR 289

59.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$50.2 MYR 201

65.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$384 MYR 1,540

59.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$271 MYR 1,085

61.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$650 MYR 2,606

222.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$464 MYR 1,863

224.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,217 MYR 8,890

69.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$869 MYR 3,484

201.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$511 MYR 2,048

-0.52%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sibu: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $384 in Sibu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sibu pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $8.00 in Sibu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $249 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 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sibu earns 1% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $384 in Sibu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $190 in Sibu. 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 $821 in Sibu versus $1,265 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 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.