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 $1,496 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,234 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,973 in Sala.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 18% less than in Sala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Sala is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$12.80 SEK 119

-63.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$63.5 SEK 591

-26.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$10.15 SEK 94.4

-12.91%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.18 SEK 29.55

-5.66%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.83 SEK 17.05

-59.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.47 SEK 22.99

-85.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$7.29 SEK 67.8

-66.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$7.56 SEK 70.4

-52.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.83 SEK 17.06

23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.65 SEK 24.65

-30.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.68 SEK 34.23

-39.13%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$4.07 SEK 37.86

-43.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.73 SEK 109

67.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$11.91 SEK 111

-69.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$15.92 SEK 148

-17.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.02 SEK 28.10

12.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.70 SEK 25.11

-39.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.72 SEK 25.33

-11.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$5.14 SEK 47.78

-60.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.52 SEK 14.13

2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.20 SEK 11.13

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.72 SEK 25.32

-62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.07 SEK 9.91

-54.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$7.55 SEK 70.3

-41.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.47 SEK 60.2

191.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.48 SEK 23.03

-28.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.88 SEK 17.52

46.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$3.22 SEK 29.90

-56.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$21.91 SEK 204

-47.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.25 SEK 58.2

-50.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.66 SEK 15.44

-39.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$21.07 SEK 196

-33.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.98 SEK 18.40

-31.82%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$42.7K SEK 396.7K

-36.27%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.4K SEK 319.7K

-4.22%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$88.1 SEK 819

41.91%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$21.33 SEK 198

-36.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$37.05 SEK 345

-50.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$48.76 SEK 453

26.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.11 SEK 196

-20.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$19.10 SEK 178

-51.88%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$147 SEK 1,367

375.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,286 SEK 12.0K

1112.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$47.81 SEK 445

20.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$36.57 SEK 340

-3.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$55.6 SEK 517

103.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$58.8 SEK 547

46.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$755 SEK 7,022

-18.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$534 SEK 4,965

-16.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$984 SEK 9,154

108.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$720 SEK 6,697

107.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$4,275 SEK 39.8K

-11.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$3,074 SEK 28.6K

-13.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$2,601 SEK 24.2K

-79.86%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sala: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $755 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 397% 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 $292 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 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sala earns 397% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $755 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $147 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 $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,496 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 21% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.