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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $779 in Sale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,232 in Sale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,684 in Sale.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than Sale, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sale 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.55 MAD 42.09

0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$32.89 MAD 304

41.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.80 MAD 62.9

24.56%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.98 MAD 18.35

53.03%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.69 MAD 6.36

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.40 MAD 3.73

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$5.42 MAD 50.2

-54.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.20 MAD 38.88

-12.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.95 MAD 8.79

129.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.57 MAD 5.31

233.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.87 MAD 17.26

17.65%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.96 MAD 18.17

13.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$13.06 MAD 121

53.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.01 MAD 55.6

-39.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$12.03 MAD 111

10.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.52 MAD 14.06

112.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.32 MAD 12.23

28.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.92 MAD 8.50

159.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.89 MAD 8.21

133.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.80 MAD 7.38

98.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.80 MAD 7.45

85.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.39 MAD 3.62

164.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.59 MAD 5.44

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.36 MAD 40.30

-2.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$4.84 MAD 44.74

288.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.72 MAD 25.20

-35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.47 MAD 22.86

11.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.57 MAD 5.27

138.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$25.11 MAD 232

-54.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.53 MAD 4.86

492.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.48 MAD 4.40

116.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$4.32 MAD 39.93

218.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.52 MAD 14.04

-11.84%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$37.3K MAD 344.9K

-25.78%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$29.6K MAD 273.8K

14.41%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$32.93 MAD 305

275.31%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$11.00 MAD 102

22.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$45.34 MAD 419

-58.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$14.22 MAD 132

334.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$23.46 MAD 217

-26.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.41 MAD 59.3

42.59%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$113 MAD 1,044

522.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,442 MAD 59.6K

146.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$43.49 MAD 402

36.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$50.8 MAD 470

-30.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$107 MAD 994

7.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$98.8 MAD 914

-14.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$282 MAD 2,611

119.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$175 MAD 1,619

147.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$511 MAD 4,724

303.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$303 MAD 2,800

399.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,208 MAD 11.2K

201.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$880 MAD 8,143

198.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$533 MAD 4,934

-4.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.81

10.81%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sale: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $282 in Sale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sale pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Sale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $200 per month, with Sale 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

Sale is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sale earns 5% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $282 in Sale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $113 in Sale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $779 in Sale versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sale but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sale the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sale 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 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 Sale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.