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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,028 in Shiso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,916 in Shiso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,804 in Shiso.

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than in Shiso, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Shiso 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.99 ¥1,249

-42.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$66.2 ¥10.3K

-50.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$6.45 ¥1,007

37.98%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.55 ¥554

-21.13%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.86 ¥134

2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.71 ¥110

-30.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.61 ¥408

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.09 ¥482

20.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.53 ¥239

16.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$2.90 ¥454

-50.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$4.90 ¥766

-67.76%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.18 ¥341

-2.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$10.25 ¥1,601

94.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$6.25 ¥977

-45.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$26.41 ¥4,125

-57.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$5.50 ¥858

-46.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.68 ¥419

-35.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$4.08 ¥638

-43.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$5.73 ¥896

-63.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$4.29 ¥671

-65.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$2.58 ¥403

-47.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.40 ¥218

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.81 ¥127

-29.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.06 ¥635

5.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$7.26 ¥1,135

153.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.90 ¥297

-1.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.27 ¥355

28.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$1.37 ¥213

62.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$32.74 ¥5,115

-30.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$3.48 ¥544

-12.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$2.92 ¥456

-63.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$20.83 ¥3,255

-81.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.21 ¥190

23.14%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$23.0K ¥3.6M

17.93%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$17.3K ¥2.7M

58.24%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$146 ¥22.8K

-29.55%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$23.62 ¥3,689

-53.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$13.37 ¥2,089

30.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$36.94 ¥5,771

44.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$14.09 ¥2,201

-20.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.77 ¥745

56.81%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$285 ¥44.5K

95.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-11.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$9.87 ¥1,541

549.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$29.61 ¥4,626

-1.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$33.58 ¥5,246

185.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$101 ¥15.8K

-10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$471 ¥73.5K

55.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$166 ¥25.9K

201.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$857 ¥133.9K

143.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$662 ¥103.4K

82.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$4,279 ¥668.4K

-15.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$2,109 ¥329.4K

19.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.78

212.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Shiso: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $471 in Shiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $66.0 in Shiso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $364 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 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $1,542 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: $730 in Phuket versus $471 in Shiso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $285 in Shiso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,028 in Shiso versus $1,253 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.