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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $462 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $726 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $990 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 166% more expensive than in Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Sharm El Sheikh 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$23.01 E£1,200

40.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.92 E£257

81.50%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.27 E£118

27.75%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.34 E£17.56

158.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.57 E£29.64

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.83 E£200

-38.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.88 E£255

-23.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.89 E£46.17

110.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.47 E£24.30

229.79%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.25 E£65.0

68.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.85 E£201

-11.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.58 E£82.3

88.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.46 E£24.20

265.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.47 E£24.50

370.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.30 E£15.66

620.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.19 E£114

94.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.56 E£81.6

14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.09 E£4.60

2377.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.43 E£22.48

246.51%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$33.1K E£1.7M

-19.63%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$22.6K E£1.2M

19.62%

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

$102 ฿3,420

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

$11.33 ฿378

$11.71 E£611

-3.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$28.57 E£1,490

-39.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

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

$561 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$368 E£19.2K

100.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$296 E£15.4K

63.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$632 E£32.9K

233.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$546 E£28.5K

124.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$983 E£51.3K

267.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$684 E£35.7K

280.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$156 E£8,147

215.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

26.5

-78.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $368 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 216% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Sharm El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $57.0 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 216% higher in Phuket, 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: $738 in Phuket versus $368 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 382% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $462 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,232 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 166% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.