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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $956 in Sibay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,475 in Sibay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,994 in Sibay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than Sibay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Sibay 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$9.48 ₽711

-50.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$38.83 ₽2,914

19.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$5.55 ₽417

56.40%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.27 ₽170

29.96%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.13 ₽84.5

-38.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.48 ₽36.11

-18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.36 ₽102

86.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.47 ₽185

53.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.11 ₽83.1

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.65 ₽48.92

176.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.43 ₽107

53.15%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.76 ₽132

31.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$10.62 ₽797

82.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.88 ₽366

-22.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.93 ₽670

48.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.79 ₽134

86.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.86 ₽140

-11.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.98 ₽149

15.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.70 ₽203

-26.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.80 ₽59.7

91.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.71 ₽53.4

112.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.35 ₽101

-23.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.67 ₽50.0

-23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.96 ₽222

48.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$6.59 ₽495

194.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$0.96 ₽72.2

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.85 ₽139

44.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.49 ₽37.10

191.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.85 ₽139

64.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.35 ₽26.35

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$6.20 ₽465

120.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.72 ₽54.1

80.56%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$34.1K ₽2.6M

-18.27%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$36.1K ₽2.7M

-8.61%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$109 ₽8,156

13.14%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$6.04 ₽454

128.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$7.96 ₽597

136.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$34.91 ₽2,620

75.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$5.14 ₽385

72.57%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$327 ₽24.5K

113.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$7,104 ₽533.1K

126.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$70.6 ₽5,299

-16.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$44.18 ₽3,315

-21.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$115 ₽8,648

-1.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$108 ₽8,091

-21.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$444 ₽33.3K

38.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$303 ₽22.7K

48.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$766 ₽57.5K

172.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$510 ₽38.2K

193.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$2,103 ₽157.8K

77.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,458 ₽109.4K

82.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Sibay: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $444 in Sibay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $39 in Sibay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $194 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 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $1,434 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: $615 in Phuket versus $444 in Sibay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $327 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 $39.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $956 in Sibay versus $1,270 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.