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 $776 in Sale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,256 in Sale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,736 in Sale.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than in Sale, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Sale 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.59 MAD 43.10

-2.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$32.67 MAD 307

39.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.88 MAD 64.6

27.33%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.05 MAD 19.21

44.88%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.65 MAD 6.07

6.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.40 MAD 3.77

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$5.42 MAD 50.9

-53.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.13 MAD 38.78

-9.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.89 MAD 8.37

141.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.55 MAD 5.14

230.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.94 MAD 18.19

12.37%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.07 MAD 19.39

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$12.87 MAD 121

55.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.26 MAD 58.8

-42.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$11.61 MAD 109

16.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.57 MAD 14.73

106.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.33 MAD 12.51

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.94 MAD 8.84

147.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.89 MAD 8.39

132.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.75 MAD 7.03

106.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.76 MAD 7.13

92.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.43 MAD 4.00

127.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.64 MAD 6.01

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$4.29 MAD 40.30

1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$4.80 MAD 45.00

286.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$2.74 MAD 25.66

-32.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.47 MAD 23.21

7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.53 MAD 5.02

167.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$24.24 MAD 227

-52.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.54 MAD 5.07

487.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.52 MAD 4.88

98.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$4.29 MAD 40.27

223.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.53 MAD 14.32

-12.42%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$37.6K MAD 353.2K

-26.17%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$29.8K MAD 279.5K

12.06%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$33.53 MAD 315

266.98%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$11.05 MAD 104

24.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$46.02 MAD 432

-60.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$14.63 MAD 137

314.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$22.77 MAD 214

-24.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$6.51 MAD 61.1

36.25%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$111 MAD 1,046

517.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$6,308 MAD 59.2K

150.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$41.92 MAD 393

41.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$50.7 MAD 476

-31.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$106 MAD 998

8.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$98.0 MAD 919

-14.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$286 MAD 2,681

117.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$177 MAD 1,659

152.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$505 MAD 4,739

302.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$302 MAD 2,836

395.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,198 MAD 11.2K

188.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$853 MAD 8,002

196.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$541 MAD 5,078

-8.78%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sale: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $286 in Sale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sale pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Sale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $201 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 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Sale. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $286 in Sale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $111 in Sale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $776 in Sale versus $1,264 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 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.