Cost of Living Comparison Between Sentul and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sentul and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $924 in Sentul versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,348 in Sentul versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,771 in Sentul versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Sentul costs roughly 27% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sentul 33% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 MYR 15.04

$4.66 ฿154

-20.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.16 MYR 90.1

$32.22 ฿1,065

-31.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 MYR 20.22

$8.68 ฿287

-42.74%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.16

$2.90 ฿95.8

3.10%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.44

$0.84 ฿27.89

1.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$0.49 ฿16.16

-2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 MYR 13.67

$2.48 ฿82.0

35.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 MYR 23.46

$3.73 ฿123

54.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MYR 7.14

$1.89 ฿62.3

-7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MYR 4.42

$1.41 ฿46.54

-22.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.93

$1.62 ฿53.6

-9.88%

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.19

$2.24 ฿74.1

-20.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 MYR 39.81

$19.84 ฿656

-50.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.35

$3.48 ฿115

-5.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 MYR 40.27

$11.37 ฿376

-12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 MYR 13.70

$2.90 ฿95.8

16.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.17

$1.72 ฿57.0

2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 MYR 11.35

$2.27 ฿75.1

22.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.69

$2.13 ฿70.4

-22.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.85

$1.47 ฿48.72

-2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.76

$1.42 ฿46.92

16.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MYR 5.63

$1.10 ฿36.25

25.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.23

$0.60 ฿19.76

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 MYR 17.96

$4.31 ฿142

2.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.37 MYR 58.5

$18.60 ฿615

-22.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 MYR 11.42

$1.80 ฿59.5

56.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MYR 12.76

$2.97 ฿98.0

5.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.90

$2.25 ฿74.2

-68.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.16 MYR 49.48

$23.49 ฿776

-48.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 4.99

$3.10 ฿102

-60.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$1.08 ฿35.56

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 MYR 36.73

$3.87 ฿128

133.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$1.43 ฿47.16

-45.45%

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

$43.0K MYR 175.1K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

54.87%

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

$33.7K MYR 137.0K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

24.79%

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

$49.11 MYR 200

$105 ฿3,462

-53.14%

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

$8.28 MYR 33.70

$11.39 ฿376

-27.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.87 MYR 109

$17.54 ฿580

53.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.18 MYR 168

$54.3 ฿1,795

-24.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 MYR 27.68

$11.44 ฿378

-40.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 MYR 20.51

$7.78 ฿257

-35.22%

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

$163 MYR 662

$576 ฿19.0K

-71.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,578 MYR 18.6K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-60.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 MYR 212

$63.6 ฿2,103

-18.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.80 MYR 68.3

$29.10 ฿961

-42.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 MYR 324

$96.2 ฿3,179

-17.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.83 MYR 166

$90.0 ฿2,974

-54.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,733

$733 ฿24.2K

-41.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 MYR 1,343

$501 ฿16.5K

-34.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 MYR 2,830

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-67.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 MYR 2,013

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-60.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,052 MYR 8,350

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-41.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,126 MYR 4,581

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-57.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$897 MYR 3,650

$508 ฿16.8K

76.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.57

-27.11%

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

Last update for Sentul: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Sentul and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sentul pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Sentul vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $275 per month, with Sentul 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

Sentul vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sentul is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 77% higher in Sentul, 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: $426 in Sentul versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 in Sentul 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 18% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $924 in Sentul versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sentul but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sentul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sentul 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, Sentul 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 Sentul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.