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: $909 in Sarawak versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,312 in Sarawak versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,714 in Sarawak versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Sarawak costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarawak 32% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 MYR 13.65

$4.66 ฿150

-25.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.70 MYR 73.9

$46.44 ฿1,496

-59.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 MYR 21.37

$8.68 ฿280

-37.67%

Cappuccino

$2.70 MYR 10.66

$2.95 ฿95.0

-8.47%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.11

$0.70 ฿22.52

12.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.55

$0.39 ฿12.70

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.72 MYR 30.51

$2.53 ฿81.6

205.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 MYR 32.13

$3.78 ฿122

115.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.07

$2.22 ฿71.5

-19.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MYR 3.92

$1.80 ฿57.8

-45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.87

$2.19 ฿70.4

-43.84%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.08

$2.31 ฿74.5

-11.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.06 MYR 59.5

$19.34 ฿623

-22.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.65 MYR 10.48

$3.77 ฿121

-29.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 MYR 37.93

$13.22 ฿426

-27.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 11.81

$3.33 ฿107

-10.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.75

$1.65 ฿53.1

-11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 MYR 9.88

$2.29 ฿73.7

9.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.65

$1.99 ฿64.1

-28.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.82

$1.53 ฿49.24

-20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.04

$1.51 ฿48.77

-15.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MYR 4.09

$1.03 ฿33.12

0.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MYR 2.47

$0.51 ฿16.57

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MYR 16.41

$4.41 ฿142

-5.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.22 MYR 64.1

$19.41 ฿625

-16.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 MYR 11.28

$1.80 ฿58.0

58.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 11.74

$2.68 ฿86.4

10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.87

$1.43 ฿46.11

-48.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.56 MYR 45.65

$11.70 ฿377

-1.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.75

$3.04 ฿97.9

-60.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MYR 3.90

$1.04 ฿33.37

-4.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 MYR 23.35

$13.68 ฿441

-56.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 1.98

$1.30 ฿41.85

-61.54%

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

$35.2K MYR 139.1K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

26.18%

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

$31.7K MYR 125.3K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-4.00%

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

$42.70 MYR 169

$123 ฿3,962

-65.28%

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

$8.86 MYR 34.99

$13.82 ฿445

-35.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.95 MYR 114

$18.86 ฿608

53.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 MYR 146

$61.2 ฿1,970

-39.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.03 MYR 23.82

$16.81 ฿541

-64.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.90 MYR 19.34

$8.87 ฿286

-44.76%

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

$187 MYR 737

$696 ฿22.4K

-73.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,975 MYR 27.6K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-56.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.88 MYR 142

$59.3 ฿1,910

-39.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.15 MYR 155

$34.85 ฿1,123

12.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 MYR 311

$113 ฿3,646

-30.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 MYR 227

$85.1 ฿2,740

-32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$326 MYR 1,289

$615 ฿19.8K

-46.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 MYR 1,065

$448 ฿14.4K

-39.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 MYR 1,977

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-76.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 MYR 1,405

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-76.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,754 MYR 6,928

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-53.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$886 MYR 3,498

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-66.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 MYR 1,696

$534 ฿17.2K

-19.53%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $326 in Sarawak and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 24% 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 in Sarawak vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $291 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 24% 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: $326 in Sarawak versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Sarawak versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $909 in Sarawak versus $1,270 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.