Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sin el Fil Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sin el Fil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,154 in Sin el Fil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,766 in Sin el Fil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,379 in Sin el Fil.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than Sin el Fil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sin el Fil 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.76 LBP 962.7K

-56.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$50.2 LBP 4.5M

-6.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.86 LBP 703.6K

12.47%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.02 LBP 270.4K

-0.66%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.58 LBP 141.6K

-53.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.88 LBP 78.8K

-57.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.56 LBP 318.5K

-31.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.91 LBP 439.8K

-26.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.74 LBP 155.7K

29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.80 LBP 71.8K

130.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.82 LBP 162.5K

23.08%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.22 LBP 287.9K

-27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.24 LBP 737.2K

138.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$9.77 LBP 874.3K

-62.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.34 LBP 1.0M

15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.73 LBP 155.1K

95.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.48 LBP 132.0K

10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.09 LBP 97.9K

121.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.09 LBP 97.3K

86.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.95 LBP 85.4K

64.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.99 LBP 89.0K

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.81 LBP 72.7K

25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.56 LBP 50.0K

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.55 LBP 228.5K

74.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.90 LBP 886.5K

90.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.23 LBP 109.9K

44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.24 LBP 200.3K

22.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.90 LBP 438.6K

-36.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.22 LBP 109.1K

-18.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$19.86 LBP 1.8M

-29.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.89 LBP 79.7K

51.69%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$34.9K LBP 3.1B

-22.14%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.9K LBP 2.5B

17.98%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$218 LBP 19.5M

-42.57%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$38.32 LBP 3.4M

-64.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$36.54 LBP 3.3M

-49.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$29.79 LBP 2.7M

106.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$10.16 LBP 909.1K

65.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.77 LBP 695.2K

18.28%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$298 LBP 26.7M

134.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,358 LBP 390.0M

257.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$70.0 LBP 6.3M

-17.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$45.40 LBP 4.1M

-22.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$99.5 LBP 8.9M

13.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$68.8 LBP 6.2M

25.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$302 LBP 27.0M

103.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$253 LBP 22.6M

76.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,019 LBP 91.2M

100.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$509 LBP 45.5M

193.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$246 LBP 22.0M

113.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.16

-52.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sin el Fil: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $302 in Sin el Fil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 113% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in Sin el Fil. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $226, with Sin el Fil cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sin el Fil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sin el Fil is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 113% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $302 in Sin el Fil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $298 in Sin el Fil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sin el Fil – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,154 in Sin el Fil versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sin el Fil but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sin el Fil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sin el Fil 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 Sin el Fil 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 Sin el Fil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.