Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sabac Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sabac

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $865 in Sabac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,319 in Sabac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,774 in Sabac.

Living in Phuket is roughly 45% more expensive than in Sabac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Sabac 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿151

$8.32 RSD 841

-45.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,082

$28.46 RSD 2,876

14.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿295

$6.76 RSD 683

31.66%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿93.0

$2.04 RSD 207

37.25%

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

$0.88 ฿29.19

$1.91 RSD 193

-53.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.23

$1.44 RSD 146

-65.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿79.2

$2.74 RSD 277

-12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿123

$2.71 RSD 274

36.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿59.3

$1.35 RSD 137

32.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.81

$0.65 RSD 65.5

121.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.6

$1.91 RSD 193

-17.28%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.5

$2.04 RSD 206

4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿661

$6.14 RSD 621

224.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿114

$6.78 RSD 685

-49.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿376

$12.05 RSD 1,217

-5.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.8

$1.28 RSD 129

130.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.1

$1.98 RSD 201

-13.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿77.1

$1.45 RSD 147

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿69.0

$2.01 RSD 203

3.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$0.69 RSD 69.3

113.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.05

$0.36 RSD 36.41

277.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.45

$1.09 RSD 110

0.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿19.06

$0.46 RSD 46.20

23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿142

$3.67 RSD 371

16.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿611

$8.17 RSD 826

125.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$0.71 RSD 72.1

163.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.9

$1.03 RSD 104

183.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.6

$1.08 RSD 109

105.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.52 RSD 154

99.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.63

$0.97 RSD 97.8

10.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿130

$5.38 RSD 543

-26.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.49

$1.88 RSD 190

-20.74%

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

$27.1K ฿899.8K

$32.1K RSD 3.2M

-15.37%

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

$27.5K ฿910.6K

$26.6K RSD 2.7M

3.30%

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

$103 ฿3,410

$144 RSD 14.5K

-28.58%

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

$10.99 ฿365

$26.69 RSD 2,697

-58.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿581

$19.95 RSD 2,017

-12.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,776

$30.69 RSD 3,102

74.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

$14.00 RSD 1,415

-20.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿248

$5.86 RSD 592

27.65%

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

$557 ฿18.5K

$181 RSD 18.3K

207.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿393.2K

$4,009 RSD 405.2K

195.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,125

$63.3 RSD 6,395

1.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿964

$67.9 RSD 6,858

-57.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,183

$60.7 RSD 6,134

58.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,997

$124 RSD 12.5K

-27.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.2K

$241 RSD 24.4K

202.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.6K

$157 RSD 15.9K

217.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿69.3K

$358 RSD 36.2K

483.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿40.1K

$269 RSD 27.2K

349.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.3K

$1,970 RSD 199.1K

82.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿83.3K

$1,556 RSD 157.3K

61.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.7K

$983 RSD 99.4K

-48.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.84

15.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sabac: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $241 in Sabac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabac pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Sabac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $193 per month, with Sabac 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 Sabac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sabac is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Sabac. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $241 in Sabac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $181 in Sabac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sabac – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $865 in Sabac versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sabac but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sabac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sabac 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, Phuket and Sabac 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 Sabac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.