Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saldus Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saldus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,161 in Saldus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,789 in Saldus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,416 in Saldus.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than in Saldus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Saldus 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$17.62 €15.08

-74.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$69.8 €59.7

-49.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$9.67 €8.28

-7.34%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$3.74 €3.20

-19.79%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.71 €1.46

-54.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$1.18 €1.01

-60.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$5.76 €4.93

-58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$4.64 €3.97

-19.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.22 €1.04

49.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.48 €1.26

-4.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$2.71 €2.32

-42.80%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.96 €3.39

-46.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$11.04 €9.44

78.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$8.95 €7.65

-61.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$14.49 €12.40

-23.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.15 €1.84

35.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.91 €1.63

-13.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$2.48 €2.12

-8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$3.35 €2.86

-37.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.92 €0.79

59.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.06 €0.91

33.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.91 €1.63

-42.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.97 €0.83

-44.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$6.72 €5.75

-33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$8.07 €6.91

131.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$2.03 €1.74

-9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.10 €1.80

40.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$3.45 €2.95

-11.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$1.02 €0.88

6.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$18.09 €15.47

-78.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$2.09 €1.79

-28.71%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$28.3K €24.3K

-3.21%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$32.5K €27.8K

-15.26%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$386 €330

-73.64%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$22.30 €19.08

-49.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$20.48 €17.52

-13.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$11.79 €10.09

-33.42%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$641 €548

-9.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$18.5K €15.8K

-37.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$74.5 €63.7

-12.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$50.3 €43.04

-42.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$88.2 €75.4

12.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$140 €120

-35.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.64

20.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Saldus: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $70.0 in Saldus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $278 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 Saldus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saldus is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,742 in Saldus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $641 in Saldus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saldus – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,161 in Saldus versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saldus but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saldus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saldus 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 Saldus 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 Saldus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.