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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $963 in Sabac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,435 in Sabac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,908 in Sabac.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Sabac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sabac 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.09 RSD 930

-49.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$26.46 RSD 2,707

74.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$9.89 RSD 1,012

-10.62%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.52 RSD 155

101.32%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.76 RSD 180

-58.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$1.15 RSD 117

-65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.42 RSD 247

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.11 RSD 216

79.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.39 RSD 142

62.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.61 RSD 62.0

196.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.00 RSD 205

12.50%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.17 RSD 222

3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.31 RSD 748

166.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.63 RSD 678

-44.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.00 RSD 1,125

18.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.29 RSD 132

150.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.90 RSD 195

-14.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.71 RSD 175

39.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$2.26 RSD 231

-10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.11 RSD 114

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.27 RSD 129

18.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.10 RSD 113

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.45 RSD 45.73

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.08 RSD 418

8.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.94 RSD 608

208.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.67 RSD 68.4

177.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.11 RSD 216

27.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.98 RSD 101

43.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$25.87 RSD 2,647

-54.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.08 RSD 111

187.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.42 RSD 43.34

147.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$4.95 RSD 507

185.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.81 RSD 186

-27.62%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$30.8K RSD 3.2M

-9.82%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.1K RSD 2.8M

22.75%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$155 RSD 15.9K

-21.18%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$19.51 RSD 1,996

-30.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$24.31 RSD 2,487

-23.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$23.62 RSD 2,416

156.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$11.68 RSD 1,195

45.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.53 RSD 668

38.90%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$182 RSD 18.6K

288.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,019 RSD 411.2K

293.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$63.3 RSD 6,479

-7.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$56.7 RSD 5,795

-37.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$117 RSD 12.0K

-1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$122 RSD 12.5K

-31.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$234 RSD 23.9K

167.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$176 RSD 18.0K

152.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$352 RSD 36.0K

479.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$267 RSD 27.3K

458.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,876 RSD 191.9K

85.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,533 RSD 156.8K

68.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$966 RSD 98.8K

-48.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sabac: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $234 in Sabac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabac pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Sabac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $196 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. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 93% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $234 in Sabac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $182 in Sabac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $963 in Sabac versus $1,250 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.