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: $2,076 in Gizo versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,981 in Gizo versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,885 in Gizo versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Gizo is roughly 65% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gizo is 54% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 SBD 23.77

$4.56 ฿149

-35.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 SBD 432

$46.63 ฿1,519

15.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.75 SBD 119

$8.47 ฿276

74.14%

Cappuccino

$2.67 SBD 21.44

$3.03 ฿98.6

-11.88%

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

$1.22 SBD 9.82

$0.69 ฿22.45

76.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 SBD 9.37

$0.37 ฿11.92

216.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 SBD 18.92

$2.49 ฿81.0

-5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 SBD 19.69

$3.66 ฿119

-33.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.03 SBD 24.38

$2.18 ฿71.0

38.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 SBD 10.71

$1.90 ฿62.0

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 SBD 10.81

$2.20 ฿71.6

-39.09%

Eggs

$7.01 SBD 56.4

$2.22 ฿72.4

215.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 SBD 68.4

$19.99 ฿651

-57.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 SBD 48.31

$3.66 ฿119

64.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 SBD 67.2

$13.25 ฿432

-36.98%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 SBD 53.3

$3.23 ฿105

104.95%

Banana (1kg)

$5.87 SBD 47.20

$1.70 ฿55.3

245.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 SBD 46.95

$2.39 ฿78.0

144.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 SBD 24.58

$2.08 ฿67.7

47.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 SBD 23.41

$1.59 ฿51.8

83.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 SBD 19.48

$1.48 ฿48.31

63.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 SBD 19.53

$1.03 ฿33.54

135.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SBD 10.53

$0.52 ฿16.83

151.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 SBD 34.70

$4.25 ฿138

1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 SBD 101

$18.79 ฿612

-32.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SBD 14.65

$1.76 ฿57.2

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SBD 16.93

$2.76 ฿89.8

-23.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 SBD 2.99

$1.36 ฿44.32

-72.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.69 SBD 239

$11.36 ฿370

161.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 SBD 9.93

$3.14 ฿102

-60.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.32 SBD 18.63

$1.04 ฿33.74

123.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 SBD 94.6

$13.77 ฿448

-14.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SBD 14.41

$1.34 ฿43.79

33.58%

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

$19.9K SBD 159.8K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-28.21%

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

$20.6K SBD 166.0K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-39.06%

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

$708 SBD 5,697

$124 ฿4,025

473.11%

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

$12.92 SBD 104

$13.52 ฿440

-4.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$118 SBD 948

$18.69 ฿609

530.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.91 SBD 144

$61.8 ฿2,013

-71.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.06 SBD 48.78

$17.25 ฿562

-64.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 SBD 34.49

$9.14 ฿298

-53.06%

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

$119 SBD 955

$703 ฿22.9K

-83.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,205 SBD 9,690

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-92.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.09 SBD 194

$59.5 ฿1,937

-59.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.1 SBD 725

$35.07 ฿1,142

156.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 SBD 778

$115 ฿3,754

-16.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.7 SBD 681

$84.1 ฿2,737

0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 SBD 4,579

$619 ฿20.1K

-7.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 SBD 4,610

$433 ฿14.1K

32.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 SBD 4,846

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-70.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 SBD 9,510

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-21.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.2K SBD 693.4K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

2264.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$389 SBD 3,127

$507 ฿16.5K

-23.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

5.33

206.38%

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

Last update for Gizo: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $569 in Gizo and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Gizo vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $293 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 65% 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, Phuket earns 30% 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: $569 in Gizo versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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 $47.00 versus $54.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,076 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 $1,261 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 65% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.