Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sale Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sale

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,232 in Sale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $3,316 in Sale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $4,401 in Sale.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 43% less than in Sale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Sale is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$16.12 A$22.87

-72.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$77.1 A$109

-40.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.71 A$13.78

-9.78%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.53 A$5.01

-15.86%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.53 A$3.59

-72.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.09 A$2.97

-81.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$6.31 A$8.95

-59.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$7.06 A$10.02

-46.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.42 A$2.02

51.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.35 A$3.33

-22.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.03 A$2.87

7.39%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$4.24 A$6.02

-46.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.58 A$12.17

133.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.43 A$11.96

-56.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$13.54 A$19.21

0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.24 A$4.59

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.81 A$3.98

-41.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.96 A$4.20

-21.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.06 A$5.76

-49.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.51 A$3.56

-38.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.19 A$3.11

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.12 A$3.00

-53.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.57 A$2.23

-69.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$30.67 A$43.52

-85.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$12.64 A$17.93

46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$4.64 A$6.59

-59.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$5.46 A$7.75

-51.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$2.56 A$3.63

-44.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$64.1 A$90.9

-81.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.48 A$4.94

-8.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.54 A$2.19

-33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$34.13 A$48.43

-59.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.19 A$1.69

12.61%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$28.7K A$40.7K

-3.13%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.9K A$32.5K

45.61%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$184 A$260

-32.95%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$26.95 A$38.23

-48.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$53.2 A$75.5

-65.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$48.42 A$68.7

25.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.49 A$21.98

10.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$12.90 A$18.30

-31.24%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$1,640 A$2,327

-58.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$12.3K A$17.4K

28.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$66.9 A$94.9

-11.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$50.3 A$71.4

-31.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$101 A$143

14.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$105 A$150

-20.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$1,240 A$1,760

-49.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$1,062 A$1,507

-58.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,996 A$2,832

1.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,686 A$2,392

-11.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$6,779 A$9,619

-49.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$5,508 A$7,816

-54.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.34

-15.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sale: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $1,240 in Sale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $77.0 in Sale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $335 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 Sale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $3,348 in Sale 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $1,240 in Sale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $1,640 in Sale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Sale. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,232 in Sale, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sale. 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 Sale, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sale 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 77% less than in Sale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.