Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tawau Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tawau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $951 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,399 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,847 in Tawau.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Tawau, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tawau 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.11 MYR 12.70

41.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$19.83 MYR 81.0

62.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.10 MYR 16.74

117.80%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.07 MYR 12.53

-5.54%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.02 MYR 4.16

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.38 MYR 1.56

26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.65 MYR 10.81

-11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.36 MYR 17.79

-14.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.87 MYR 7.64

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.14 MYR 4.65

28.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.49 MYR 6.10

4.03%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.00 MYR 8.17

5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$13.78 MYR 56.3

42.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.49 MYR 18.33

-23.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.84 MYR 40.18

15.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.92 MYR 11.91

2.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.78 MYR 7.28

-5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.17 MYR 8.85

1.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.86 MYR 7.58

16.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.20 MYR 4.89

26.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.02 MYR 4.16

31.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.33 MYR 5.42

-15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.56 MYR 2.30

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.45 MYR 18.17

-4.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$18.95 MYR 77.4

0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.90 MYR 11.82

-38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.38 MYR 13.81

-17.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.78 MYR 3.17

185.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$11.45 MYR 46.74

98.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.19 MYR 4.87

154.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.49 MYR 1.98

108.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.00 MYR 32.64

-51.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.73 MYR 2.97

104.11%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$41.5K MYR 169.5K

-35.96%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$34.2K MYR 139.6K

-20.97%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$51.0 MYR 208

101.00%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$10.52 MYR 42.93

7.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$28.28 MYR 115

-38.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$42.62 MYR 174

22.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$7.38 MYR 30.12

50.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.62 MYR 14.77

112.43%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$181 MYR 740

209.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$5,615 MYR 22.9K

104.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$52.0 MYR 212

21.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$30.14 MYR 123

-2.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$92.9 MYR 379

5.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$66.9 MYR 273

32.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$382 MYR 1,558

93.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$286 MYR 1,167

68.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$743 MYR 3,032

183.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$535 MYR 2,184

129.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,277 MYR 9,295

58.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,204 MYR 4,917

116.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$416 MYR 1,697

18.76%

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 Tawau: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $382 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 19% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $258 per month, with Tawau 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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tawau is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $382 in Tawau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $181 in Tawau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $951 in Tawau versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tawau but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tawau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tawau 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 Tawau 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 Tawau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.