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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $858 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,306 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,754 in Tawau.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than in Tawau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tawau 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.59 MYR 14.67

24.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,522

$18.61 MYR 76.0

144.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.04 MYR 16.48

116.83%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$2.26 MYR 9.24

31.42%

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

$0.69 ฿22.92

$0.72 MYR 2.93

-4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.36 MYR 1.49

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$2.41 MYR 9.83

4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.28 MYR 13.41

14.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.53 MYR 6.23

40.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.32 MYR 5.37

37.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$1.68 MYR 6.87

29.76%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$2.06 MYR 8.41

9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$14.84 MYR 60.6

34.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.45 MYR 18.18

-18.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$9.15 MYR 37.37

48.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.93 MYR 11.98

10.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.53 MYR 6.23

7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$2.48 MYR 10.15

-6.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$1.42 MYR 5.81

45.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.23 MYR 5.04

26.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.58

$1.28 MYR 5.21

14.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.88

$1.00 MYR 4.07

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.52 MYR 2.14

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.27 MYR 17.43

1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$18.31 MYR 74.8

1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$2.76 MYR 11.27

-32.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$2.90 MYR 11.84

-8.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.32

$0.70 MYR 2.84

102.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$11.94 MYR 48.75

-3.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.20 MYR 4.92

164.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.45

$0.99 MYR 4.06

4.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$5.98 MYR 24.42

132.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.88

$0.50 MYR 2.05

168.00%

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

$27.8K ฿927.9K

$34.7K MYR 141.6K

-19.86%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$31.6K MYR 129.2K

5.52%

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

$123 ฿4,109

$44.32 MYR 181

177.64%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$8.87 MYR 36.23

55.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$28.77 MYR 117

-36.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,026

$36.32 MYR 148

67.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$5.78 MYR 23.60

196.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$2.78 MYR 11.36

219.06%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$186 MYR 758

270.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.9K

$6,797 MYR 27.8K

132.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,980

$60.0 MYR 245

-1.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,158

$26.87 MYR 110

29.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,846

$71.9 MYR 294

60.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,797

$50.4 MYR 206

66.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$392 MYR 1,601

58.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$272 MYR 1,110

64.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$649 MYR 2,652

213.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$468 MYR 1,911

219.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$2,253 MYR 9,198

53.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$1,247 MYR 5,092

102.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$420 MYR 1,716

17.47%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tawau: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $392 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $251 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 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $392 in Tawau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $186 in Tawau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $858 in Tawau versus $1,264 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 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.