Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sharm El Sheikh Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sharm El Sheikh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $684 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,118 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,552 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 85% more expensive than Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sharm El Sheikh 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.74 E£402

-39.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$21.46 E£1,114

111.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.48 E£285

53.83%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.76 E£91.3

66.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.32 E£16.51

115.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.44 E£22.88

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.00 E£156

-19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.00 E£259

-25.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.91 E£47.20

145.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.62 E£32.19

195.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.65 E£33.93

233.85%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.34 E£69.6

64.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.37 E£175

485.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.93 E£204

-7.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.77 E£455

54.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.60 E£83.1

105.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.48 E£24.73

235.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.50 E£26.01

382.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.31 E£16.15

570.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.40 E£20.79

282.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.40 E£20.84

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.24 E£12.47

312.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.20 E£10.53

155.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.65 E£85.8

167.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.36 E£70.5

30.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.82 E£94.4

48.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.11 E£5.93

1145.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.39 E£20.14

674.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.29 E£14.84

241.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$1.97 E£102

615.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.36 E£18.49

277.78%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$35.5K E£1.8M

-20.56%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.6K E£1.7M

-2.16%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$12.06 E£626

909.12%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$11.13 E£577

21.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$28.07 E£1,457

-34.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$15.01 E£779

301.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.94 E£308

188.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.54 E£184

145.48%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$114 E£5,938

506.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$1,855 E£96.3K

745.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$27.01 E£1,402

120.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$48.05 E£2,494

-27.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$110 E£5,695

4.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$51.3 E£2,663

62.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$370 E£19.2K

65.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$281 E£14.6K

55.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$626 E£32.5K

234.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$561 E£29.1K

169.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$997 E£51.7K

276.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$690 E£35.8K

278.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$151 E£7,827

236.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.67

-68.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $370 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 237% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Sharm El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $110 per month, with Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharm El Sheikh is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 237% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $370 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $114 in Sharm El Sheikh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $684 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharm El Sheikh but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sharm El Sheikh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.