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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $884 in Sibu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,308 in Sibu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,733 in Sibu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than in Sibu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Sibu 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.18 MYR 8.91

102.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$19.54 MYR 79.8

65.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.20 MYR 17.16

112.62%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.36 MYR 9.65

22.88%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.67 MYR 2.73

31.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.24 MYR 0.98

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.02 MYR 12.32

-22.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.30 MYR 17.55

-13.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.77 MYR 7.23

5.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.84 MYR 3.41

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.31 MYR 5.34

18.32%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.97 MYR 8.06

6.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$15.04 MYR 61.4

30.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.22 MYR 17.22

-18.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$10.14 MYR 41.40

12.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.24 MYR 13.24

-8.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.84 MYR 7.53

-8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.74 MYR 11.18

-19.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.50 MYR 6.13

44.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.26 MYR 5.12

20.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.20 MYR 4.90

11.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.08 MYR 4.41

4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.50 MYR 2.05

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.52 MYR 18.45

-5.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$20.54 MYR 83.9

-7.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$3.00 MYR 12.23

-40.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.66 MYR 14.93

-24.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.66 MYR 2.69

237.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$14.00 MYR 57.2

62.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.31 MYR 5.33

131.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.44 MYR 1.80

131.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.43 MYR 34.41

-53.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.66 MYR 2.71

125.76%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$36.0K MYR 146.9K

-26.13%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$35.2K MYR 143.8K

-23.25%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$49.25 MYR 201

108.06%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$7.19 MYR 29.34

57.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$26.77 MYR 109

-35.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$27.76 MYR 113

87.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$6.44 MYR 26.30

71.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.65 MYR 14.89

110.68%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$180 MYR 735

211.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,923 MYR 20.1K

133.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$61.3 MYR 250

2.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$36.18 MYR 148

-18.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$93.0 MYR 380

5.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$69.4 MYR 283

27.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$416 MYR 1,696

77.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$359 MYR 1,466

34.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$784 MYR 3,201

168.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$449 MYR 1,832

173.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,916 MYR 7,822

88.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,147 MYR 4,682

126.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$499 MYR 2,037

-1.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.2

32.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sibu: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $416 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Sibu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $261 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, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Sibu. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $416 in Sibu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $180 in Sibu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $884 in Sibu versus $1,232 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 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.