Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sibay Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sibay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $974 in Sibay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,478 in Sibay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,981 in Sibay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than Sibay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sibay 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$9.57 ₽688

-52.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$37.70 ₽2,711

23.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$5.70 ₽410

48.60%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.35 ₽169

28.94%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$1.11 ₽80.0

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.51 ₽36.86

-27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$1.40 ₽101

77.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$2.53 ₽182

44.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.15 ₽82.9

89.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.66 ₽47.13

187.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.36 ₽97.8

61.76%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$1.70 ₽122

30.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$10.77 ₽774

85.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$5.00 ₽359

-26.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$8.59 ₽618

54.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.73 ₽124

86.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.81 ₽130

-6.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$2.01 ₽144

18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.71 ₽195

-23.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$0.81 ₽58.0

96.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$0.72 ₽51.6

105.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.37 ₽98.4

-24.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.71 ₽51.0

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$2.88 ₽207

47.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$6.95 ₽499

170.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$0.93 ₽67.1

89.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.86 ₽134

48.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.52 ₽37.70

161.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$1.94 ₽139

61.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.36 ₽25.66

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$6.42 ₽462

114.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$0.74 ₽53.1

81.08%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$34.9K ₽2.5M

-20.76%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$34.9K ₽2.5M

-2.95%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$108 ₽7,760

14.52%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$6.07 ₽437

122.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$7.60 ₽546

145.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$34.89 ₽2,508

77.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$5.05 ₽363

80.99%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$328 ₽23.6K

113.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$6,985 ₽502.2K

127.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$71.2 ₽5,119

-16.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$44.03 ₽3,165

-20.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$116 ₽8,307

-0.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$107 ₽7,718

-21.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$447 ₽32.1K

38.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$301 ₽21.7K

43.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$763 ₽54.9K

170.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$502 ₽36.1K

200.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$2,836 ₽203.9K

28.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$1,666 ₽119.8K

57.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

15.33

-65.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sibay: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $447 in Sibay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Sibay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $195 per month, with Sibay 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 Sibay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,461 in Sibay 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: $619 in Phuket versus $447 in Sibay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $328 in Sibay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sibay – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $974 in Sibay versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sibay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sibay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sibay 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 Sibay 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 Sibay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.