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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,619 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,351 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,083 in Sala.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 24% less than in Sala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Sala is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$12.46 SEK 123

-64.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$61.7 SEK 608

-47.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$10.06 SEK 99.2

-11.23%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.30 SEK 32.50

-12.12%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.87 SEK 18.44

-52.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$2.33 SEK 23.01

-79.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$7.12 SEK 70.2

-66.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$7.32 SEK 72.2

-49.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.81 SEK 17.88

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.62 SEK 25.85

-43.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.64 SEK 35.85

-57.42%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$5.00 SEK 49.28

-58.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.89 SEK 117

64.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$13.80 SEK 136

-75.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$22.79 SEK 225

-50.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.08 SEK 30.39

-3.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.68 SEK 26.39

-37.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.72 SEK 26.85

-18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.92 SEK 48.51

-56.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.54 SEK 15.16

-1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.22 SEK 12.06

9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.72 SEK 26.82

-58.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.02 SEK 10.05

-46.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$7.33 SEK 72.2

-41.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$6.30 SEK 62.1

203.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.01 SEK 19.80

-11.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.93 SEK 19.00

44.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$3.11 SEK 30.65

-28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$21.82 SEK 215

4.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$6.03 SEK 59.4

-49.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.84 SEK 18.17

-44.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$83.3 SEK 820

-95.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.76 SEK 17.31

-15.34%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$34.5K SEK 339.8K

-22.90%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$34.3K SEK 337.7K

-21.12%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$186 SEK 1,835

-44.98%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$21.01 SEK 207

-46.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$39.07 SEK 385

-55.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$47.16 SEK 465

10.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$20.57 SEK 203

-46.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$16.44 SEK 162

-53.22%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$164 SEK 1,618

241.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,266 SEK 12.5K

808.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$45.96 SEK 453

37.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$36.55 SEK 360

-19.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$55.3 SEK 544

77.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$57.8 SEK 570

53.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$757 SEK 7,464

-2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$536 SEK 5,285

-10.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$967 SEK 9,533

117.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$714 SEK 7,040

71.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$4,196 SEK 41.3K

-13.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,926 SEK 28.8K

-11.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,489 SEK 24.5K

-80.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.2

74.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sala: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $757 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 404% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $62.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $376 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 404% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $757 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $164 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Sala. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,619 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 31% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.