Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sakon Nakhon Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sakon Nakhon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $878 in Sakon Nakhon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,423 in Sakon Nakhon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,967 in Sakon Nakhon.

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than Sakon Nakhon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sakon Nakhon 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$1.56 ฿50.8

189.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$15.58 ฿506

199.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$3.12 ฿101

172.12%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.50 ฿48.80

105.33%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.70 ฿22.69

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.28 ฿9.21

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.20 ฿71.5

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.20 ฿71.7

65.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$2.55 ฿82.8

-14.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.23 ฿39.99

47.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.30 ฿42.29

71.54%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.27 ฿73.8

-1.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$11.68 ฿379

67.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$2.27 ฿73.9

63.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$13.69 ฿445

-1.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$3.27 ฿106

2.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.21 ฿39.38

33.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$2.20 ฿71.5

9.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.36 ฿76.7

-15.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.50 ฿48.83

2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.25 ฿40.48

16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.69 ฿22.57

46.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.48 ฿15.56

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$4.43 ฿144

-3.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$15.48 ฿503

23.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.87 ฿60.9

-1.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.52 ฿82.1

8.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.64 ฿20.75

121.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$7.91 ฿257

48.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.55 ฿50.5

93.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.15 ฿37.29

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$6.21 ฿202

123.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.30 ฿42.25

-0.77%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$27.4K ฿890.8K

2.28%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$27.1K ฿879.6K

23.78%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$50.2 ฿1,631

143.04%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$10.10 ฿328

37.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$16.88 ฿549

11.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$101 ฿3,284

-39.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$12.41 ฿403

35.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$3.74 ฿122

137.70%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$298 ฿9,671

132.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$9,713 ฿315.7K

66.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$28.72 ฿933

101.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$11.45 ฿372

209.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$90.7 ฿2,947

25.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$63.2 ฿2,054

31.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$422 ฿13.7K

43.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$280 ฿9,090

60.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$826 ฿26.8K

145.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$651 ฿21.2K

129.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$2,203 ฿71.6K

62.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,332 ฿43.3K

94.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$766 ฿24.9K

-34.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.45

-2.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $422 in Sakon Nakhon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sakon Nakhon pays 52% 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 $16.00 in Sakon Nakhon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $245 per month, with Sakon Nakhon 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 Sakon Nakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sakon Nakhon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sakon Nakhon earns 52% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $422 in Sakon Nakhon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $298 in Sakon Nakhon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $878 in Sakon Nakhon versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 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.

For families, Sakon Nakhon 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 Sakon Nakhon 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 Sakon Nakhon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.