Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shiso Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shiso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,106 in Shiso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,996 in Shiso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,887 in Shiso.

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than Shiso, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shiso 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$8.17 ¥1,306

-42.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$67.6 ¥10.8K

-32.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.40 ¥1,024

31.72%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.62 ¥579

-19.06%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.86 ¥137

-19.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.70 ¥112

-47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.56 ¥409

-5.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.14 ¥503

18.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.60 ¥256

39.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$2.97 ¥475

-38.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.84 ¥774

-55.17%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.23 ¥356

-0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.22 ¥1,635

93.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.23 ¥997

-41.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$27.03 ¥4,324

-49.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.36 ¥857

-38.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.63 ¥420

-38.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.95 ¥632

-38.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$6.05 ¥968

-65.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$4.48 ¥717

-65.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.59 ¥415

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.33 ¥212

-25.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.84 ¥134

-39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.28 ¥684

3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.40 ¥1,184

161.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.86 ¥298

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.26 ¥361

19.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.34 ¥215

2.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$33.38 ¥5,340

-65.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.50 ¥560

-13.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.89 ¥463

-65.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$21.17 ¥3,385

-33.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.22 ¥196

11.48%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

19.51%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.1K ¥2.7M

92.54%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$145 ¥23.2K

-15.96%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$67.3 ¥10.8K

-79.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$13.41 ¥2,145

36.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$37.17 ¥5,945

62.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.73 ¥2,196

24.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.57 ¥732

90.15%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$279 ¥44.5K

148.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

17.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$9.82 ¥1,571

506.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$28.89 ¥4,621

20.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$33.14 ¥5,300

245.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$101 ¥16.1K

-17.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$459 ¥73.4K

33.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$167 ¥26.8K

160.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$881 ¥141.0K

137.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$668 ¥106.9K

125.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,211 ¥673.6K

-10.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,988 ¥318.0K

31.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.78

199.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Shiso: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $459 in Shiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $68.0 in Shiso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $368 per month, with Phuket 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 Shiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiso is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,658 in Shiso to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $459 in Shiso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $279 in Shiso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,106 in Shiso versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shiso but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shiso the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shiso 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 Shiso 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 Shiso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.