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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $931 in Sabac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,397 in Sabac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,863 in Sabac.

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than Sabac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sabac 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$8.74 RSD 879

-46.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$26.81 RSD 2,696

69.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.90 RSD 995

-14.85%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.46 RSD 147

100.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.81 RSD 182

-61.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.21 RSD 121

-69.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.30 RSD 232

4.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.01 RSD 202

85.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.37 RSD 138

62.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.64 RSD 64.7

185.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.97 RSD 198

10.15%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.20 RSD 222

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.31 RSD 735

170.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.70 RSD 674

-45.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.77 RSD 1,083

25.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.35 RSD 136

142.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.87 RSD 188

-13.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.70 RSD 171

41.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.24 RSD 226

-7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.12 RSD 113

36.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.20 RSD 120

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.05 RSD 105

-5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.45 RSD 45.06

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.98 RSD 400

10.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.27 RSD 630

209.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.70 RSD 70.8

154.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.10 RSD 211

29.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.98 RSD 98.2

39.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.03 RSD 104

193.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.46 RSD 45.85

115.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.00 RSD 503

182.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.82 RSD 183

-25.27%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$30.6K RSD 3.1M

-7.74%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.8K RSD 2.7M

22.81%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$158 RSD 15.9K

-22.84%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$19.47 RSD 1,958

-30.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$24.25 RSD 2,439

-24.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$23.52 RSD 2,366

156.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$11.76 RSD 1,183

45.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.57 RSD 661

32.27%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$184 RSD 18.5K

276.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,977 RSD 400.0K

294.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$62.5 RSD 6,288

-4.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$56.4 RSD 5,669

-38.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$120 RSD 12.0K

-4.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$122 RSD 12.3K

-31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$232 RSD 23.4K

164.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$178 RSD 17.9K

145.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$355 RSD 35.7K

490.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$267 RSD 26.8K

466.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,917 RSD 192.8K

95.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,562 RSD 157.1K

67.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$997 RSD 100.2K

-49.03%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sabac: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $232 in Sabac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabac pays 96% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Sabac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sabac earns 96% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $232 in Sabac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $184 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 $27.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $931 in Sabac versus $1,265 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 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.