Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sala Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,491 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,247 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,003 in Sala.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in Sala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Sala is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$12.55 SEK 118

-63.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$62.9 SEK 590

-25.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$10.48 SEK 98.4

-19.18%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.20 SEK 29.99

-5.31%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.81 SEK 17.00

-61.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.40 SEK 22.50

-84.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$7.53 SEK 70.6

-66.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.57 SEK 71.0

-51.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.84 SEK 17.26

18.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.69 SEK 25.26

-29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.74 SEK 35.07

-41.18%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.04 SEK 37.93

-45.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$11.78 SEK 111

69.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$11.64 SEK 109

-68.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$15.84 SEK 149

-16.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.15 SEK 29.59

2.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.70 SEK 25.35

-37.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.82 SEK 26.43

-15.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$5.04 SEK 47.26

-58.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.55 SEK 14.57

2.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.19 SEK 11.15

24.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.71 SEK 25.46

-61.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.04 SEK 9.73

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$7.54 SEK 70.7

-43.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.41 SEK 60.2

193.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.50 SEK 23.45

-29.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.93 SEK 18.14

43.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$3.15 SEK 29.51

-56.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$21.82 SEK 205

-47.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$6.30 SEK 59.1

-50.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.58 SEK 14.84

-34.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$20.87 SEK 196

-34.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$2.00 SEK 18.78

-33.00%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$42.2K SEK 395.7K

-34.39%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$34.2K SEK 321.0K

-1.06%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$88.8 SEK 833

39.21%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$20.84 SEK 196

-35.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$37.20 SEK 349

-49.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$47.92 SEK 450

29.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$20.95 SEK 197

-17.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$19.22 SEK 180

-52.45%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$146 SEK 1,373

379.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,254 SEK 11.8K

1166.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$46.54 SEK 437

27.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$37.23 SEK 349

-5.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$54.8 SEK 514

110.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$57.4 SEK 538

46.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$774 SEK 7,256

-20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$545 SEK 5,113

-20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$965 SEK 9,049

113.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$726 SEK 6,811

108.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$4,001 SEK 37.5K

-8.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$3,328 SEK 31.2K

-21.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$2,569 SEK 24.1K

-80.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.53

17.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sala: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $774 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 407% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $63.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $346 per month, with Phuket 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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sala earns 407% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $774 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $146 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Sala. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,491 in Sala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sala. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sala, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sala 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.