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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $705 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,110 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,515 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 77% more expensive than in Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sharm El Sheikh 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.68 E£392

-40.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$21.57 E£1,101

114.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.31 E£271

66.48%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.79 E£91.4

70.95%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.32 E£16.16

128.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.47 E£24.05

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.03 E£155

-19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.80 E£245

-21.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.92 E£46.77

145.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.58 E£29.82

212.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.71 E£36.09

216.90%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.29 E£65.9

74.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.30 E£168

491.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.02 E£205

-9.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.73 E£446

49.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.56 E£79.5

107.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.47 E£24.03

244.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.47 E£23.88

406.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.31 E£16.03

554.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.38 E£19.32

302.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.43 E£22.04

248.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.24 E£12.28

308.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.18 E£9.24

188.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.66 E£84.6

167.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.36 E£69.5

36.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.87 E£95.3

43.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.09 E£4.66

1466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.42 E£21.38

640.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.31 E£15.83

235.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.03 E£103

595.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.32 E£16.52

309.38%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$35.2K E£1.8M

-20.96%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$33.1K E£1.7M

0.22%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$12.02 E£613

918.64%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$11.23 E£573

21.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.27 E£1,443

-33.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$14.60 E£745

314.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$6.04 E£308

181.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.36 E£172

169.94%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$114 E£5,805

521.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,866 E£95.2K

747.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$27.29 E£1,393

114.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$49.45 E£2,525

-28.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$110 E£5,639

4.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$51.3 E£2,620

63.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$371 E£19.0K

68.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$283 E£14.4K

57.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$640 E£32.7K

218.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$542 E£27.7K

175.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$927 E£47.3K

275.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$663 E£33.8K

288.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$162 E£8,289

207.87%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $371 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 208% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Sharm El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $109 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 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 208% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $371 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 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 $22.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $705 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,250 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 77% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.