Cost of Living Comparison Between Tawau and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tawau and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $865 in Tawau versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,320 in Tawau versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,776 in Tawau versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Tawau costs roughly 31% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tawau 36% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 MYR 14.72

$4.56 ฿149

-20.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.66 MYR 75.7

$46.63 ฿1,519

-59.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.06 MYR 16.46

$8.47 ฿276

-52.07%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MYR 9.03

$3.03 ฿98.6

-26.40%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.13

$0.69 ฿22.45

11.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.62

$0.37 ฿11.92

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 MYR 9.29

$2.49 ฿81.0

-8.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MYR 13.75

$3.66 ฿119

-7.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MYR 6.49

$2.18 ฿71.0

-26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 MYR 5.30

$1.90 ฿62.0

-31.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.83

$2.20 ฿71.6

-23.64%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.29

$2.22 ฿72.4

-8.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.84 MYR 60.2

$19.99 ฿651

-25.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 MYR 17.27

$3.66 ฿119

16.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 MYR 39.33

$13.25 ฿432

-26.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 12.13

$3.23 ฿105

-7.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 5.99

$1.70 ฿55.3

-12.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.62

$2.39 ฿78.0

9.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.64

$2.08 ฿67.7

-33.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.05

$1.59 ฿51.8

-22.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 MYR 5.12

$1.48 ฿48.31

-14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.07

$1.03 ฿33.54

-2.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.23

$0.52 ฿16.83

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MYR 17.02

$4.25 ฿138

-1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 MYR 77.5

$18.79 ฿612

1.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MYR 11.17

$1.76 ฿57.2

56.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.82

$2.76 ฿89.8

5.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.76

$1.36 ฿44.32

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.97 MYR 48.52

$11.36 ฿370

5.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MYR 4.70

$3.14 ฿102

-63.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 MYR 4.21

$1.04 ฿33.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 MYR 24.50

$13.77 ฿448

-56.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.99

$1.34 ฿43.79

-63.43%

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

$35.9K MYR 145.8K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

29.88%

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

$31.3K MYR 127.1K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-7.45%

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

$43.00 MYR 174

$124 ฿4,025

-65.21%

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

$8.93 MYR 36.21

$13.52 ฿440

-33.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.39 MYR 119

$18.69 ฿609

57.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.21 MYR 147

$61.8 ฿2,013

-41.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.73 MYR 23.25

$17.25 ฿562

-66.78%

Cinema Ticket

$2.90 MYR 11.74

$9.14 ฿298

-68.27%

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

$187 MYR 757

$703 ฿22.9K

-73.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,040 MYR 28.5K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-55.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 MYR 242

$59.5 ฿1,937

0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.46 MYR 111

$35.07 ฿1,142

-21.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 MYR 298

$115 ฿3,754

-36.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.5 MYR 205

$84.1 ฿2,737

-39.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 MYR 1,584

$619 ฿20.1K

-36.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MYR 1,087

$433 ฿14.1K

-38.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 MYR 2,609

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-68.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MYR 1,897

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-69.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,168 MYR 8,790

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-40.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$985 MYR 3,993

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-62.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$421 MYR 1,708

$507 ฿16.5K

-16.90%

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 Tawau: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Tawau and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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 Tawau vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $293 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

Tawau vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tawau is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 20% 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: $391 in Tawau versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Tawau 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 15% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $865 in Tawau versus $1,261 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, Tawau 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 Tawau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.