Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saku Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,036 in Saku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,642 in Saku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,249 in Saku.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than in Saku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Saku 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$16.49 €14.44

-72.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$70.2 €61.5

-34.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$9.69 €8.49

-8.77%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.79 €3.32

-19.26%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$2.59 €2.27

-71.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$2.58 €2.26

-84.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$5.19 €4.55

-53.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.73 €5.02

-34.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.24 €1.08

82.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.42 €1.24

27.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.28 €2.00

-1.32%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.91 €2.55

-22.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.40 €10.86

57.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.96 €7.85

-59.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.23 €9.84

16.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.89 €1.66

70.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.58 €1.38

2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.42 €2.12

-1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.37 €2.07

-14.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.00 €0.88

53.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.98 €0.86

53.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.95 €1.71

-49.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.01 €0.88

-48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.53 €5.72

-32.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.45 €9.15

75.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.99 €1.74

-6.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.20 €1.93

21.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.33 €2.91

-6.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.74 €0.65

40.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$17.34 €15.19

-18.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.95 €1.71

-32.82%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$28.6K €25.0K

-2.66%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$30.2K €26.4K

10.01%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$266 €233

-53.94%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$20.12 €17.62

-32.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$35.82 €31.37

-47.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$11.69 €10.24

-22.41%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$115 €101

513.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,799 €6,830

102.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$114 €100

-48.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$39.33 €34.45

-10.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$97.5 €85.4

18.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$107 €93.9

-21.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,144 €3,629

-15.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,764 €2,421

-6.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,829 €1,602

-72.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.3

23.95%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Saku: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Saku pays 266% 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 $70.0 in Saku. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $264, with Saku cheaper for home cooking.

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 Saku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saku is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 266% lower in Saku. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $115 in Saku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saku – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,036 in Saku versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saku but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saku 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 Saku 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 Saku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.