Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sidi Bel Abbes

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidi Bel Abbes: $532 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Sidi Bel Abbes
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Sidi Bel Abbes Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Sidi Bel Abbes

🇩🇿 Algeria

$532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sidi Bel Abbes

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Sidi Bel Abbes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $532 in Sidi Bel Abbes.

Phuket $1,278
Sidi Bel Abbes $532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $880 in Sidi Bel Abbes.

Phuket $2,216
Sidi Bel Abbes $880

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,227 in Sidi Bel Abbes.

Phuket $3,154
Sidi Bel Abbes $1,227

Living in Phuket is roughly 140% more expensive than in Sidi Bel Abbes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sidi Bel Abbes 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.34 DZD 316

91.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$20.93 DZD 2,819

54.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.86 DZD 520

128.24%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$0.40 DZD 53.2

607.50%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.59 DZD 79.9

47.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.28 DZD 38.15

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.71 DZD 230

49.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.84 DZD 382

29.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.95 DZD 128

74.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.07 DZD 9.88

1985.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.01 DZD 136

48.51%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.57 DZD 211

33.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$9.64 DZD 1,298

97.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.74 DZD 773

-42.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$15.40 DZD 2,074

-29.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.71 DZD 364

8.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$2.25 DZD 302

-24.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.39 DZD 188

61.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.45 DZD 60.0

362.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.32 DZD 43.76

371.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.62 DZD 84.0

122.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.64 DZD 86.8

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.35 DZD 47.33

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.85 DZD 249

127.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$9.88 DZD 1,331

90.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.22 DZD 299

-18.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$0.95 DZD 128

198.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.22 DZD 29.00

559.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$7.40 DZD 996

665.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.67 DZD 90.6

350.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.31 DZD 41.48

229.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.31 DZD 312

59.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.32 DZD 43.14

359.37%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$16.4K DZD 2.2M

62.79%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$29.8K DZD 4.0M

-10.47%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$18.78 DZD 2,528

413.05%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.80 DZD 1,185

27.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$15.68 DZD 2,111

7.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$17.47 DZD 2,353

284.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$1.56 DZD 210

380.77%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$54.6 DZD 7,356

771.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$3,260 DZD 439.0K

245.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$33.73 DZD 4,542

84.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$53.5 DZD 7,208

-46.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$80.9 DZD 10.9K

16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$80.9 DZD 10.9K

6.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$144 DZD 19.4K

397.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$92.3 DZD 12.4K

431.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$234 DZD 31.5K

724.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$191 DZD 25.7K

649.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,008 DZD 135.7K

314.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,064 DZD 143.2K

186.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$347 DZD 46.8K

44.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.5

-14.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sidi Bel Abbes: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$92 17.3% 81.2% $399

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$201 37.7% 24.5% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$43 8.1% 65.3% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$112 21.1% 8% $9.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$53 9.9% 56.6% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$21 3.9% 74.9% $62

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$10 2% 85.2% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $144 in Sidi Bel Abbes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $21 in Sidi Bel Abbes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $201 per month, with Sidi Bel Abbes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇩🇿 Sidi Bel Abbes

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

22:50 10:50 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

212,935

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Sidi Bel Abbes 10,310 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sidi Bel Abbes

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sidi Bel Abbes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sidi Bel Abbes is about 58% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $144 in Sidi Bel Abbes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $55 in Sidi Bel Abbes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $532 in Sidi Bel Abbes versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Sidi Bel Abbes but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sidi Bel Abbes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sidi Bel Abbes are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Sidi Bel Abbes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.