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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $868 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,322 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 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 5% lower, Tawau 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$3.47 MYR 13.70

34.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$18.87 MYR 74.5

146.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$4.15 MYR 16.41

109.16%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.24 MYR 8.83

31.70%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.73 MYR 2.89

-4.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.36 MYR 1.43

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.34 MYR 9.26

8.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.24 MYR 12.81

16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.53 MYR 6.05

45.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.37 MYR 5.43

31.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.67 MYR 6.61

31.14%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.07 MYR 8.16

11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$15.18 MYR 60.0

27.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.23 MYR 16.71

-10.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$9.64 MYR 38.06

37.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.84 MYR 11.20

17.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.52 MYR 6.02

8.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$2.52 MYR 9.94

-9.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.38 MYR 5.46

44.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.23 MYR 4.85

24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.29 MYR 5.08

17.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.04 MYR 4.10

-0.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.56 MYR 2.23

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$4.35 MYR 17.18

1.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$19.25 MYR 76.1

0.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.79 MYR 11.00

-35.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.89 MYR 11.42

-7.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.72 MYR 2.85

98.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$11.88 MYR 46.93

-1.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.15 MYR 4.55

164.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$1.02 MYR 4.04

1.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$5.93 MYR 23.44

130.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.46 MYR 1.83

182.61%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$35.2K MYR 139.0K

-20.74%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$31.7K MYR 125.3K

4.11%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$43.44 MYR 172

183.08%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$9.23 MYR 36.46

49.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$29.51 MYR 117

-36.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$37.18 MYR 147

64.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$5.98 MYR 23.61

181.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$2.82 MYR 11.13

214.54%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$184 MYR 727

278.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,823 MYR 27.0K

135.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$61.8 MYR 244

-4.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$27.81 MYR 110

25.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$73.4 MYR 290

54.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$51.5 MYR 203

65.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$393 MYR 1,551

56.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$272 MYR 1,075

64.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$640 MYR 2,529

225.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$465 MYR 1,837

221.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,911 MYR 7,550

95.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$908 MYR 3,586

193.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$434 MYR 1,714

22.92%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Tawau: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $393 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% 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 in Phuket vs $19 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 23% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $393 in Tawau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $184 in Tawau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $868 in Tawau versus $1,270 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.