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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,478 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,218 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,957 in Sala.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 14% less than in Sala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Sala is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$12.53 SEK 119

-64.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$63.7 SEK 605

-28.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$10.20 SEK 96.9

-14.12%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.19 SEK 30.28

-6.90%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.86 SEK 17.70

-62.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.39 SEK 22.67

-83.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$7.42 SEK 70.5

-65.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$7.24 SEK 68.8

-48.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.78 SEK 16.87

20.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.69 SEK 25.53

-32.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.63 SEK 34.44

-39.94%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.86 SEK 36.68

-41.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.12 SEK 115

65.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$11.89 SEK 113

-69.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$15.97 SEK 152

-15.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.14 SEK 29.85

3.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.57 SEK 24.45

-36.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.84 SEK 27.01

-17.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$5.13 SEK 48.74

-59.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.56 SEK 14.78

-0.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.18 SEK 11.17

23.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.71 SEK 25.77

-63.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.02 SEK 9.71

-52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$7.20 SEK 68.4

-39.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.24 SEK 59.3

197.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.50 SEK 23.73

-25.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.92 SEK 18.28

38.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$3.25 SEK 30.83

-56.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$22.30 SEK 212

-48.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$6.15 SEK 58.5

-48.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.58 SEK 15.05

-34.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$21.29 SEK 202

-34.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.97 SEK 18.69

-31.98%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$41.4K SEK 393.5K

-32.91%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$34.5K SEK 328.1K

-3.35%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$89.6 SEK 852

37.27%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$21.17 SEK 201

-34.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$36.99 SEK 351

-50.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$48.67 SEK 462

24.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$21.31 SEK 202

-19.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$18.75 SEK 178

-52.69%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$148 SEK 1,404

365.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,284 SEK 12.2K

1129.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$45.96 SEK 437

29.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$36.96 SEK 351

-6.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$54.4 SEK 517

111.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$58.4 SEK 554

43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$764 SEK 7,261

-18.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$531 SEK 5,044

-16.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$985 SEK 9,354

106.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$737 SEK 7,002

102.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$4,100 SEK 38.9K

-15.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$3,033 SEK 28.8K

-16.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,507 SEK 23.8K

-80.31%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sala: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $764 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 408% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $64.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $345 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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 408% lower in Sala. 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 $764 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $148 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,478 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 17% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.