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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,098 in Gizo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,983 in Gizo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,868 in Gizo.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 41% less than in Gizo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Gizo is 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.05 SBD 24.13

51.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$54.9 SBD 435

-14.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$15.02 SBD 119

-41.15%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.77 SBD 21.98

8.30%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.17 SBD 9.26

-36.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.18 SBD 9.37

-68.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.42 SBD 19.16

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.35 SBD 18.61

53.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$3.04 SBD 24.11

-25.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.30 SBD 10.29

41.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.36 SBD 10.80

64.71%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$6.80 SBD 53.9

-65.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.17 SBD 64.7

140.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.95 SBD 47.14

-38.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$8.46 SBD 67.0

54.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$6.78 SBD 53.7

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$6.09 SBD 48.24

-73.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$6.04 SBD 47.86

-60.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.07 SBD 24.32

-33.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.91 SBD 23.06

-46.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.45 SBD 19.41

-38.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.44 SBD 19.34

-58.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.29 SBD 10.26

-62.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.08 SBD 32.29

9.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$12.37 SBD 98.0

52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.85 SBD 14.63

-3.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.15 SBD 17.01

27.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.38 SBD 2.99

268.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$30.38 SBD 241

-62.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.19 SBD 9.39

162.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.31 SBD 18.30

-56.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$11.75 SBD 93.0

19.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.71 SBD 13.54

-21.05%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.3K SBD 161.1K

33.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.4K SBD 169.4K

53.96%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$711 SBD 5,630

-82.42%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.98 SBD 103

4.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$122 SBD 967

-84.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$18.05 SBD 143

240.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$6.02 SBD 47.70

179.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.08 SBD 32.29

125.25%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$120 SBD 953

480.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,200 SBD 9,505

1199.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$24.40 SBD 193

136.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$89.7 SBD 711

-60.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$97.2 SBD 770

16.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$84.6 SBD 670

2.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$582 SBD 4,609

5.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$560 SBD 4,435

-20.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$598 SBD 4,738

242.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,222 SBD 9,675

22.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$88.6K SBD 701.9K

-95.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$395 SBD 3,127

32.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.33

-67.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Gizo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $582 in Gizo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $55.0 in Gizo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $343 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

Phuket vs Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 70% 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.

Phuket pays 33% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $582 in Gizo. 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 $55.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,098 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, Phuket and Gizo 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 70% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.