Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $970 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,438 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,907 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Sandakan, Sabah costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sandakan, Sabah 30% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 MYR 15.42

$4.66 ฿154

-18.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.12 MYR 81.8

$32.22 ฿1,065

-37.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 19.91

$8.68 ฿287

-43.55%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.18

$2.90 ฿95.8

3.10%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.25

$0.84 ฿27.89

-4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.73

$0.49 ฿16.16

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 MYR 15.00

$2.48 ฿82.0

48.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MYR 18.18

$3.73 ฿123

19.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.56

$1.89 ฿62.3

-1.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.27

$1.41 ฿46.54

-25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.18

$1.62 ฿53.6

-6.17%

Eggs

$1.89 MYR 7.68

$2.24 ฿74.1

-15.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.56 MYR 55.2

$19.84 ฿656

-31.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 MYR 17.61

$3.48 ฿115

24.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.96 MYR 40.53

$11.37 ฿376

-12.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 MYR 13.28

$2.90 ฿95.8

12.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.20

$1.72 ฿57.0

2.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 MYR 9.88

$2.27 ฿75.1

7.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MYR 6.59

$2.13 ฿70.4

-23.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.41

$1.47 ฿48.72

-9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$1.42 ฿46.92

-16.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$1.10 ฿36.25

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.33

$0.60 ฿19.76

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MYR 18.36

$4.31 ฿142

4.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 MYR 78.0

$18.60 ฿615

3.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 MYR 12.31

$1.80 ฿59.5

68.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MYR 15.22

$2.97 ฿98.0

25.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.13

$2.25 ฿74.2

-65.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.63 MYR 51.4

$23.49 ฿776

-46.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 MYR 5.13

$3.10 ฿102

-59.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$1.08 ฿35.56

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.37

$3.87 ฿128

93.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 MYR 2.97

$1.43 ฿47.16

-48.95%

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

$43.0K MYR 175.0K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

54.82%

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

$35.1K MYR 142.7K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

29.98%

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

$49.67 MYR 202

$105 ฿3,462

-52.60%

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

$9.87 MYR 40.13

$11.39 ฿376

-13.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.51 MYR 116

$17.54 ฿580

62.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 MYR 169

$54.3 ฿1,795

-23.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.59 MYR 26.80

$11.44 ฿378

-42.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.00

$7.78 ฿257

-36.76%

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

$176 MYR 715

$576 ฿19.0K

-69.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,019 MYR 20.4K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-56.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 MYR 250

$63.6 ฿2,103

-3.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.64 MYR 141

$29.10 ฿961

19.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 MYR 329

$96.2 ฿3,179

-15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 MYR 284

$90.0 ฿2,974

-22.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 MYR 1,720

$733 ฿24.2K

-42.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 MYR 1,366

$501 ฿16.5K

-32.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MYR 2,886

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-66.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MYR 2,023

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-60.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,034 MYR 8,274

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-42.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 MYR 4,644

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-56.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,246 MYR 5,068

$508 ฿16.8K

145.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

5.57

-24.60%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Sandakan, Sabah and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandakan, Sabah pays 145% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Sandakan, Sabah vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $275 per month, with Sandakan, Sabah 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

Sandakan, Sabah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandakan, Sabah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 145% higher in Sandakan, Sabah, 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: $423 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $576 in Phuket. 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 $970 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sandakan, Sabah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sandakan, Sabah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sandakan, Sabah 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, Sandakan, Sabah and Phuket 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 Sandakan, Sabah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.