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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $865 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,320 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,776 in Tawau.

Living in Phuket is roughly 46% more expensive than Tawau, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.63 MYR 14.72

25.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$18.66 MYR 75.7

149.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.06 MYR 16.46

108.62%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.23 MYR 9.03

35.87%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.77 MYR 3.13

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.40 MYR 1.62

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.29 MYR 9.29

8.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.39 MYR 13.75

7.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.60 MYR 6.49

36.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.31 MYR 5.30

45.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.68 MYR 6.83

30.95%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.04 MYR 8.29

8.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$14.84 MYR 60.2

34.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.26 MYR 17.27

-14.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.70 MYR 39.33

36.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.99 MYR 12.13

8.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.48 MYR 5.99

14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.62 MYR 10.62

-8.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.39 MYR 5.64

49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.24 MYR 5.05

28.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.26 MYR 5.12

17.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.00 MYR 4.07

3.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.55 MYR 2.23

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.20 MYR 17.02

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$19.12 MYR 77.5

-1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.75 MYR 11.17

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.91 MYR 11.82

-5.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.68 MYR 2.76

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$11.97 MYR 48.52

-5.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.16 MYR 4.70

170.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.04 MYR 4.21

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.04 MYR 24.50

127.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.49 MYR 1.99

173.47%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$35.9K MYR 145.8K

-23.00%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$31.3K MYR 127.1K

8.05%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$43.00 MYR 174

187.42%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.93 MYR 36.21

51.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$29.39 MYR 119

-36.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$36.21 MYR 147

70.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$5.73 MYR 23.25

201.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$2.90 MYR 11.74

215.17%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$187 MYR 757

276.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$7,040 MYR 28.5K

125.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$59.7 MYR 242

-0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$27.46 MYR 111

27.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$73.5 MYR 298

56.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$50.5 MYR 205

66.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$391 MYR 1,584

58.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$268 MYR 1,087

61.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$643 MYR 2,609

220.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$468 MYR 1,897

222.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,168 MYR 8,790

68.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$985 MYR 3,993

166.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$421 MYR 1,708

20.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.07

30.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tawau: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $391 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $255 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 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 20% more on average, 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: $619 in Phuket versus $391 in Tawau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $187 in Tawau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $865 in Tawau versus $1,261 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 46% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.