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

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

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

Living in Phuket costs roughly 39% less than in Gizo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.96 SBD 23.77

54.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$53.7 SBD 432

-13.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$14.75 SBD 119

-42.58%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.67 SBD 21.44

13.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.22 SBD 9.82

-43.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.17 SBD 9.37

-68.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.35 SBD 18.92

5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.45 SBD 19.69

49.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$3.03 SBD 24.38

-28.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.33 SBD 10.71

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.34 SBD 10.81

64.18%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$7.01 SBD 56.4

-68.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.50 SBD 68.4

135.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.01 SBD 48.31

-39.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.35 SBD 67.2

58.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$6.62 SBD 53.3

-51.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$5.87 SBD 47.20

-71.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$5.84 SBD 46.95

-59.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.06 SBD 24.58

-32.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.91 SBD 23.41

-45.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.42 SBD 19.48

-38.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.43 SBD 19.53

-57.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.31 SBD 10.53

-60.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.31 SBD 34.70

-1.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$12.60 SBD 101

49.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.82 SBD 14.65

-3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.11 SBD 16.93

30.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.37 SBD 2.99

267.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$29.69 SBD 239

-61.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.24 SBD 9.93

153.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.32 SBD 18.63

-55.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$11.77 SBD 94.6

16.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.79 SBD 14.41

-25.14%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$19.9K SBD 159.8K

39.29%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.6K SBD 166.0K

64.09%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$708 SBD 5,697

-82.55%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$12.92 SBD 104

4.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$118 SBD 948

-84.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$17.91 SBD 144

245.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$6.06 SBD 48.78

184.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.29 SBD 34.49

113.05%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$119 SBD 955

491.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,205 SBD 9,690

1217.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$24.09 SBD 194

146.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$90.1 SBD 725

-61.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$96.7 SBD 778

19.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$84.7 SBD 681

-0.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$569 SBD 4,579

8.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$573 SBD 4,610

-24.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$603 SBD 4,846

242.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,182 SBD 9,510

27.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$86.2K SBD 693.4K

-95.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$389 SBD 3,127

30.40%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Gizo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $569 in Gizo. 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $54.0 in Gizo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $342 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 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.

Phuket pays 30% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $569 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 $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, 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 65% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.