Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $900 in Sarawak versus $1,261 in Phuket.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,673 in Sarawak versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Sarawak costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarawak 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.79

$4.56 ฿150

-20.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.77 MYR 76.4

$46.63 ฿1,536

-59.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 MYR 21.46

$8.47 ฿279

-37.66%

Cappuccino

$2.76 MYR 11.23

$3.03 ฿99.7

-8.91%

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

$0.74 MYR 3.01

$0.69 ฿22.71

7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$0.37 ฿12.05

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 MYR 32.16

$2.49 ฿82.0

217.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 MYR 33.71

$3.66 ฿121

126.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.69

$2.18 ฿71.9

-13.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.07

$1.90 ฿62.7

-47.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.23

$2.20 ฿72.4

-41.36%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.28

$2.22 ฿73.2

-8.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.95 MYR 60.8

$19.99 ฿659

-25.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.55 MYR 10.39

$3.66 ฿121

-30.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 MYR 39.35

$13.25 ฿437

-26.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.82

$3.23 ฿107

-9.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.00

$1.70 ฿55.9

-12.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 MYR 10.48

$2.39 ฿78.9

7.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.90

$2.08 ฿68.5

-30.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.97

$1.59 ฿52.5

-23.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.40

$1.48 ฿48.87

-10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$1.03 ฿33.93

-2.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MYR 2.73

$0.52 ฿17.03

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.46

$4.25 ฿140

0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MYR 70.9

$18.79 ฿619

-7.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 MYR 11.49

$1.76 ฿57.9

60.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.15

$2.76 ฿90.8

8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.82

$1.36 ฿44.83

-49.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.98 MYR 48.71

$11.36 ฿374

5.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MYR 4.67

$3.14 ฿104

-63.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 MYR 3.99

$1.04 ฿34.13

-5.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 MYR 24.06

$13.77 ฿454

-57.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.01

$1.34 ฿44.30

-63.43%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.1K

$27.7K ฿912.0K

26.22%

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

$31.9K MYR 129.8K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-5.78%

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

$43.20 MYR 176

$124 ฿4,072

-65.05%

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

$8.94 MYR 36.36

$13.52 ฿446

-33.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.23 MYR 119

$18.69 ฿616

56.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.24 MYR 151

$61.8 ฿2,037

-39.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.00 MYR 24.39

$17.25 ฿568

-65.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MYR 20.59

$9.14 ฿301

-44.64%

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

$189 MYR 770

$703 ฿23.2K

-73.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,935 MYR 28.2K

$15.9K ฿523.0K

-56.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.81 MYR 150

$59.5 ฿1,959

-38.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 MYR 160

$35.07 ฿1,156

11.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 MYR 313

$115 ฿3,798

-33.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.1 MYR 228

$84.1 ฿2,769

-33.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 MYR 1,317

$619 ฿20.4K

-47.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MYR 1,095

$433 ฿14.3K

-37.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MYR 2,052

$2,062 ฿67.9K

-75.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 MYR 1,463

$1,511 ฿49.8K

-76.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,935 MYR 7,870

$3,646 ฿120.1K

-46.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$973 MYR 3,956

$2,626 ฿86.5K

-62.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 MYR 1,708

$507 ฿16.7K

-17.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.07

5.33

-23.64%

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

Last update for Sarawak: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $324 in Sarawak and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 21% 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: $19.00 in Sarawak vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $293 per month, with Sarawak 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

Sarawak vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarawak is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 21% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $324 in Sarawak versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $189 in Sarawak versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $900 in Sarawak versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarawak but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sarawak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sarawak 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, Sarawak 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 Sarawak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.