Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sakon Nakhon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakon Nakhon: $896 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Sakon Nakhon
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Sakon Nakhon Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Sakon Nakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sakon Nakhon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Sakon Nakhon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $896 in Sakon Nakhon.

Phuket $1,278
Sakon Nakhon $896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,416 in Sakon Nakhon.

Phuket $2,216
Sakon Nakhon $1,416

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,937 in Sakon Nakhon.

Phuket $3,154
Sakon Nakhon $1,937

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than in Sakon Nakhon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sakon Nakhon 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.46 ฿49.20

206.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$14.98 ฿505

116.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$2.89 ฿97.5

204.84%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.46 ฿49.23

93.84%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.73 ฿24.55

19.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.25 ฿8.38

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.01 ฿67.9

27.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.12 ฿71.5

73.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.38 ฿80.1

-30.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.28 ฿43.15

14.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.21 ฿40.73

23.97%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.10 ฿70.7

-0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$10.51 ฿354

81.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.48 ฿83.7

33.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.38 ฿350

5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$3.11 ฿105

-5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.16 ฿39.24

45.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.13 ฿71.9

5.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.86 ฿62.8

11.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.46 ฿49.20

3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.45 ฿48.72

-4.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.54 ฿18.25

98.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.51 ฿17.10

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.35 ฿147

-3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$17.49 ฿589

7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.66 ฿56.0

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.76 ฿93.0

2.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.87 ฿29.25

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.46 ฿49.31

106.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.10 ฿37.19

-7.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$5.36 ฿181

-31.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.26 ฿42.54

16.67%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$26.3K ฿887.7K

1.65%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$27.4K ฿921.7K

-2.41%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$83.2 ฿2,803

15.83%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$10.13 ฿342

11.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$15.68 ฿528

7.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$48.92 ฿1,649

37.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$12.06 ฿407

-11.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.54 ฿119

111.86%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$660 ฿22.2K

-27.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$11.0K ฿370.3K

2.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$19.47 ฿656

220.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$6.67 ฿225

325.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$118 ฿3,988

-20.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$74.1 ฿2,497

15.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$410 ฿13.8K

74.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$336 ฿11.3K

46.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$1,219 ฿41.1K

58.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$752 ฿25.4K

90.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$2,173 ฿73.2K

92.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,814 ฿61.1K

67.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$741 ฿25.0K

-32.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Sakon Nakhon

$336 37.5% 31.5% $155

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Sakon Nakhon

$230 25.6% 13.8% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Sakon Nakhon

$109 12.2% 12.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sakon Nakhon

$98 11% 19.3% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sakon Nakhon

$56 6.3% 53.9% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Sakon Nakhon

$56 6.3% 31.9% $26

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Sakon Nakhon

$10 * 1.2% 85.2% $60

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $410 in Sakon Nakhon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sakon Nakhon pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $15 in Sakon Nakhon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $230 per month, with Sakon Nakhon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Sakon Nakhon

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

53,100

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Sakon Nakhon 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sakon Nakhon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sakon Nakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sakon Nakhon is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $410 in Sakon Nakhon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $660 in Sakon Nakhon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sakon Nakhon – a meal for two runs $15 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $896 in Sakon Nakhon versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Sakon Nakhon but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sakon Nakhon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sakon Nakhon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.