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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $893 in Sakon Nakhon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,427 in Sakon Nakhon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,960 in Sakon Nakhon.

Living in Phuket is roughly 42% more expensive than in Sakon Nakhon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Sakon Nakhon 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.57 ฿52.5

185.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$15.36 ฿512

196.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$2.98 ฿99.6

193.96%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.53 ฿51.2

94.12%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.70 ฿23.44

-1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.26 ฿8.61

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.11 ฿70.3

19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.22 ฿74.2

68.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.48 ฿82.7

-13.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.23 ฿41.04

47.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.31 ฿43.64

66.41%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.24 ฿74.7

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$11.44 ฿382

74.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.28 ฿75.9

59.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$14.05 ฿469

-3.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.14 ฿105

3.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.25 ฿41.62

31.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.21 ฿73.8

5.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.44 ฿81.6

-15.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.45 ฿48.36

6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.32 ฿43.93

10.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.70 ฿23.22

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.44 ฿14.61

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$17.74 ฿592

4.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.95 ฿65.0

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.45 ฿81.7

8.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.63 ฿21.09

125.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$7.58 ฿253

52.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.57 ฿52.5

101.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.15 ฿38.48

-10.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.06 ฿202

129.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.29 ฿43.14

3.88%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$27.5K ฿917.4K

1.06%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.9K ฿930.5K

19.68%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$50.1 ฿1,672

145.56%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$10.23 ฿341

34.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$16.66 ฿556

10.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$104 ฿3,463

-41.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$12.09 ฿403

41.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.68 ฿123

141.03%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$304 ฿10.1K

126.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$9,476 ฿316.1K

66.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$28.26 ฿943

109.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$11.25 ฿375

208.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$92.3 ฿3,079

24.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$63.6 ฿2,121

31.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$416 ฿13.9K

49.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$291 ฿9,692

53.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$798 ฿26.6K

154.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$667 ฿22.3K

124.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,103 ฿70.2K

64.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,774 ฿59.2K

42.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$740 ฿24.7K

-33.31%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $416 in Sakon Nakhon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sakon Nakhon pays 50% 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 $15.00 in Sakon Nakhon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $249 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Sakon Nakhon. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $416 in Sakon Nakhon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $304 in Sakon Nakhon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Sakon Nakhon versus $1,264 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 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.