Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Side Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Side

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,076 in Side.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,642 in Side.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,208 in Side.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than Side, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Side 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$7.79 ₺350

-40.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$23.29 ₺1,047

99.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$6.18 ₺278

40.45%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.64 ₺119

11.74%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.74 ₺78.0

-59.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.47 ₺21.24

-17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$3.14 ₺141

-19.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$4.10 ₺184

-7.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$0.84 ₺37.96

164.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.98 ₺44.13

83.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$0.88 ₺39.38

148.86%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.77 ₺79.5

30.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.38 ₺377

130.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$5.33 ₺240

-29.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$16.31 ₺733

-18.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.01 ₺45.32

229.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$2.09 ₺93.9

-21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$0.73 ₺32.71

213.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.11 ₺49.76

79.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.56 ₺24.97

173.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.45 ₺20.33

235.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.27 ₺56.9

-18.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.34 ₺15.30

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.05 ₺92.0

115.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$8.72 ₺392

122.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.70 ₺76.6

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.12 ₺95.3

26.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.63 ₺28.09

126.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$30.68 ₺1,379

-61.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.08 ₺48.74

181.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.61 ₺27.31

70.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$7.65 ₺344

78.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.16 ₺52.0

12.07%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$40.1K ₺1.8M

-30.38%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$42.7K ₺1.9M

-22.55%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$48.43 ₺2,177

153.91%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$8.03 ₺361

72.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$6.49 ₺292

190.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$42.64 ₺1,917

43.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$6.47 ₺291

37.09%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$619 ₺27.8K

12.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$8,974 ₺403.4K

78.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$75.2 ₺3,379

-21.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$45.66 ₺2,053

-23.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$163 ₺7,318

-30.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$112 ₺5,025

-23.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$513 ₺23.0K

20.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$395 ₺17.8K

13.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$889 ₺40.0K

134.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$702 ₺31.6K

113.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,382 ₺62.1K

170.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,010 ₺45.4K

163.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-73.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Side: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $513 in Side. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $23 in Side for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $198 per month, with Side 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 Side: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Side is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $1,614 in Side 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 $513 in Side. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $619 in Side. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,076 in Side versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Side but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Side the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Side 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 Side 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 Side gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.