Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Serra Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Serra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $709 in Serra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,072 in Serra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,435 in Serra.

Living in Phuket is roughly 78% more expensive than in Serra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Serra 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.52 R$22.94

-0.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$20.83 R$106

118.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.29 R$31.92

39.27%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.74 R$8.85

70.69%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.75 R$3.81

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.52 R$2.64

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$0.83 R$4.22

204.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.23 R$16.38

16.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.81 R$4.12

165.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.51 R$7.64

20.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.05 R$5.32

107.62%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.62 R$8.20

38.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.31 R$37.09

173.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.69 R$18.73

-1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$6.35 R$32.20

113.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.12 R$10.73

52.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.33 R$6.76

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.24 R$6.28

87.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.41 R$7.16

46.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.10 R$5.61

40.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.19 R$6.05

22.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.64 R$3.23

53.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.51 R$2.61

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.18 R$11.08

99.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.53 R$28.04

235.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.94 R$4.76

97.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.22 R$6.19

117.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.86 R$4.37

65.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$42.26 R$214

-72.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.14 R$5.77

178.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.91 R$4.60

13.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$3.75 R$19.00

270.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.02 R$5.18

31.37%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$21.2K R$107.5K

31.22%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$30.4K R$154.4K

9.69%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$104 R$529

17.95%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$11.91 R$60.4

15.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$17.69 R$89.7

3.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$35.99 R$183

68.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$27.33 R$139

-37.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.42 R$22.41

100.68%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$169 R$858

306.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,607 R$33.5K

138.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$36.62 R$186

61.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$54.9 R$279

-36.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$82.3 R$418

39.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$71.0 R$360

17.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$226 R$1,146

175.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$137 R$693

226.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$389 R$1,976

422.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$201 R$1,018

645.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$955 R$4,848

261.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$543 R$2,756

366.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$547 R$2,775

-9.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.38

-48.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Serra: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $226 in Serra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serra pays 11% 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 $21.00 in Serra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $156 per month, with Serra 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 Serra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Serra is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Serra. 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 $226 in Serra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $169 in Serra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Serra versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Serra but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Serra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Serra 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 Serra 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 Serra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.