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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $648 in Sale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,061 in Sale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,475 in Sale.

Living in Phuket is roughly 95% more expensive than in Sale, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sale 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.75 MAD 35.28

24.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$18.73 MAD 176

72.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.40 MAD 69.6

17.30%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.92 MAD 18.05

51.04%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.63 MAD 5.93

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.34 MAD 3.16

44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.71 MAD 25.43

-8.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.29 MAD 30.88

13.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.94 MAD 8.82

101.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.68 MAD 6.37

107.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.99 MAD 18.73

-18.59%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.97 MAD 18.48

13.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$11.70 MAD 110

69.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.95 MAD 65.3

-49.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$12.67 MAD 119

-10.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.39 MAD 13.09

108.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.24 MAD 11.65

38.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.88 MAD 8.26

157.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.87 MAD 8.22

144.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.76 MAD 7.10

93.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.77 MAD 7.19

84.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.44 MAD 4.12

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.58 MAD 5.45

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.91 MAD 36.70

10.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.71 MAD 44.29

294.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.21 MAD 20.81

-18.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.21 MAD 20.76

34.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.57 MAD 5.31

294.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$23.79 MAD 224

-1.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.78 MAD 7.30

297.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.55 MAD 5.21

96.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$4.15 MAD 38.98

-6.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.52 MAD 14.24

-5.92%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$35.5K MAD 333.7K

-21.75%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$31.5K MAD 296.0K

-14.33%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$39.46 MAD 371

165.59%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$10.88 MAD 102

4.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$42.24 MAD 397

-58.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$16.54 MAD 155

228.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$43.35 MAD 407

-73.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.24 MAD 49.25

48.47%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$105 MAD 986

449.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$6,048 MAD 56.8K

91.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$33.02 MAD 310

92.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$47.63 MAD 448

-38.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$75.7 MAD 711

27.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$68.4 MAD 643

31.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$216 MAD 2,028

239.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$109 MAD 1,020

361.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$366 MAD 3,442

480.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$269 MAD 2,529

365.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,161 MAD 10.9K

204.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$862 MAD 8,101

204.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$538 MAD 5,058

-5.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sale: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $216 in Sale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sale pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Sale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $216 in Sale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $105 in Sale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $648 in Sale versus $1,265 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 95% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.