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: $953 in Tawau versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,392 in Tawau versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,831 in Tawau versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Tawau costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tawau 31% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.17 MYR 12.90

$4.66 ฿154

-31.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 MYR 78.9

$32.22 ฿1,065

-39.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.18 MYR 16.98

$8.68 ฿287

-51.84%

Cappuccino

$3.12 MYR 12.68

$2.90 ฿95.8

7.59%

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

$0.95 MYR 3.88

$0.84 ฿27.89

13.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$0.49 ฿16.16

-26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 MYR 10.79

$2.48 ฿82.0

6.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.38

$3.73 ฿123

21.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MYR 7.33

$1.89 ฿62.3

-4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.14

$1.41 ฿46.54

-27.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.95

$1.62 ฿53.6

-9.88%

Eggs

$1.91 MYR 7.77

$2.24 ฿74.1

-14.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 MYR 54.2

$19.84 ฿656

-32.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 MYR 18.40

$3.48 ฿115

29.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 MYR 39.03

$11.37 ฿376

-15.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 MYR 12.65

$2.90 ฿95.8

7.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.64

$1.72 ฿57.0

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 MYR 10.03

$2.27 ฿75.1

8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.95

$2.13 ฿70.4

-19.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$1.47 ฿48.72

-21.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.96

$1.42 ฿46.92

-14.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MYR 5.12

$1.10 ฿36.25

14.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$0.60 ฿19.76

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.16

$4.31 ฿142

3.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.80 MYR 76.5

$18.60 ฿615

1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.85

$1.80 ฿59.5

61.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MYR 13.61

$2.97 ฿98.0

12.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.13

$2.25 ฿74.2

-65.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.38 MYR 46.30

$23.49 ฿776

-51.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$3.10 ฿102

-59.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$1.08 ฿35.56

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 MYR 34.12

$3.87 ฿128

116.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 MYR 2.94

$1.43 ฿47.16

-49.65%

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

$42.3K MYR 172.3K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

52.40%

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

$34.7K MYR 141.0K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

28.47%

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

$49.61 MYR 202

$105 ฿3,462

-52.66%

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

$10.63 MYR 43.23

$11.39 ฿376

-6.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.77 MYR 117

$17.54 ฿580

64.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.98 MYR 175

$54.3 ฿1,795

-20.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.53 MYR 30.62

$11.44 ฿378

-34.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.70 MYR 15.05

$7.78 ฿257

-52.44%

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

$178 MYR 723

$576 ฿19.0K

-69.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,269 MYR 17.4K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-63.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 MYR 232

$63.6 ฿2,103

-10.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.35 MYR 164

$29.10 ฿961

38.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 MYR 383

$96.2 ฿3,179

-2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 MYR 273

$90.0 ฿2,974

-25.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 MYR 1,937

$733 ฿24.2K

-35.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 MYR 1,413

$501 ฿16.5K

-30.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 MYR 3,063

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-64.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 MYR 2,271

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-55.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,147 MYR 8,733

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-39.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,253 MYR 5,099

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-52.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$413 MYR 1,678

$508 ฿16.8K

-18.72%

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 Tawau: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Tawau and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% 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 $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $275 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 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Phuket. 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: $476 in Tawau versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Tawau 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 9% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $953 in Tawau versus $1,265 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.