Cost of Living Comparison Between Gizo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Gizo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,175 in Gizo versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,079 in Gizo versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,983 in Gizo versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Gizo is roughly 77% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gizo is 59% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.14 SBD 25.09

$4.41 ฿147

-28.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 SBD 441

$32.26 ฿1,077

70.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.36 SBD 123

$8.93 ฿298

72.00%

Cappuccino

$2.87 SBD 22.94

$2.90 ฿96.6

-1.03%

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

$1.28 SBD 10.25

$0.88 ฿29.38

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 SBD 9.75

$0.48 ฿16.06

154.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 SBD 20.43

$2.35 ฿78.5

8.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 SBD 19.62

$3.72 ฿124

-34.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.19 SBD 25.54

$1.87 ฿62.3

70.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 SBD 10.69

$1.47 ฿48.94

-8.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 SBD 11.41

$1.55 ฿51.8

-7.74%

Eggs

$7.24 SBD 57.9

$2.10 ฿70.1

244.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 SBD 68.8

$19.59 ฿654

-56.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 SBD 51.0

$3.42 ฿114

86.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.73 SBD 69.9

$11.38 ฿380

-23.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.78 SBD 54.2

$2.98 ฿99.6

127.52%

Banana (1kg)

$6.38 SBD 51.0

$1.68 ฿56.2

279.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.38 SBD 51.0

$2.21 ฿73.7

188.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 SBD 24.31

$2.16 ฿72.1

40.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 SBD 24.81

$1.52 ฿50.9

103.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 SBD 20.31

$1.34 ฿44.67

89.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 SBD 19.52

$1.13 ฿37.67

115.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SBD 10.69

$0.55 ฿18.24

143.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 SBD 34.37

$4.26 ฿142

0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 SBD 102

$19.09 ฿637

-33.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 SBD 15.14

$1.78 ฿59.4

6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SBD 17.89

$2.78 ฿92.9

-19.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 SBD 2.87

$2.23 ฿74.4

-83.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.21 SBD 250

$22.74 ฿759

37.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 SBD 10.10

$3.03 ฿101

-58.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 SBD 19.63

$1.02 ฿34.15

140.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.58 SBD 101

$3.89 ฿130

223.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SBD 14.39

$1.49 ฿49.77

20.81%

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

$20.6K SBD 164.6K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-22.59%

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

$22.3K SBD 178.0K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-17.65%

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

$754 SBD 6,033

$102 ฿3,420

636.13%

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

$13.49 SBD 108

$11.33 ฿378

19.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$123 SBD 987

$17.40 ฿581

609.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.99 SBD 152

$52.1 ฿1,738

-63.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.07 SBD 48.55

$11.07 ฿370

-45.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 SBD 34.68

$7.69 ฿257

-43.56%

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

$126 SBD 1,011

$561 ฿18.7K

-77.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,272 SBD 10.2K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-88.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.26 SBD 202

$63.0 ฿2,104

-59.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.0 SBD 744

$29.52 ฿986

215.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 SBD 799

$98.0 ฿3,272

1.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 SBD 709

$88.5 ฿2,954

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 SBD 4,795

$738 ฿24.6K

-18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$601 SBD 4,805

$482 ฿16.1K

24.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 SBD 5,005

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-70.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 SBD 9,953

$1,226 ฿40.9K

1.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$87.3K SBD 698.3K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

2313.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$400 SBD 3,199

$494 ฿16.5K

-18.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

5.57

193.18%

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

Last update for Gizo: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Gizo and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Gizo vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $274 per month, with Phuket 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

Gizo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

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: $600 in Gizo versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $55.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,175 in Gizo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gizo 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.