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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $710 in Serra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,074 in Serra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,438 in Serra.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Serra 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.48 R$22.68

1.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$20.50 R$104

127.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.19 R$31.34

36.83%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.69 R$8.55

79.29%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.69 R$3.50

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.51 R$2.61

-27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.83 R$4.21

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.17 R$16.06

15.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.79 R$4.02

175.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.44 R$7.30

31.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.01 R$5.14

117.82%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.67 R$8.44

32.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.35 R$37.19

171.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.57 R$18.07

2.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.41 R$32.45

106.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.13 R$10.78

51.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.39 R$7.04

22.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.19 R$6.01

100.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.48 R$7.49

40.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.05 R$5.32

51.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.15 R$5.85

28.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.59 R$3.01

74.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.57 R$2.86

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.19 R$11.10

94.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.32 R$26.94

253.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.88 R$4.48

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.26 R$6.40

119.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.83 R$4.22

63.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$41.94 R$212

-72.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.15 R$5.83

173.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.96 R$4.85

8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$3.73 R$18.89

269.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.03 R$5.21

30.10%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.2K R$107.3K

30.55%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$29.9K R$151.6K

13.12%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$106 R$534

17.07%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$11.54 R$58.4

17.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$18.08 R$91.5

3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$36.40 R$184

69.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$27.47 R$139

-37.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.63 R$23.43

97.41%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$167 R$846

320.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,399 R$32.4K

148.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$37.12 R$188

60.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$53.1 R$269

-33.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$82.3 R$417

40.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$71.1 R$360

18.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$224 R$1,135

175.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$137 R$693

216.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$394 R$1,993

423.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$199 R$1,008

659.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$957 R$4,844

281.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$536 R$2,712

390.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$522 R$2,640

-2.78%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Serra: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $224 in Serra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serra pays 3% 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 $20.00 in Serra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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, Serra earns 3% 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 $224 in Serra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $167 in Serra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $710 in Serra versus $1,261 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.