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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,120 in Sin el Fil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,752 in Sin el Fil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,383 in Sin el Fil.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Sin el Fil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Sin el Fil 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.71 LBP 958.4K

-58.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,520

$49.16 LBP 4.4M

-7.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.92 LBP 709.2K

10.61%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.91 LBP 260.7K

2.06%

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

$0.69 ฿22.89

$1.65 LBP 147.7K

-58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.03

$0.93 LBP 83.2K

-58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.55 LBP 317.8K

-28.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$5.10 LBP 456.4K

-26.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.77 LBP 158.6K

21.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.5

$0.79 LBP 70.3K

130.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.84 LBP 165.0K

18.48%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.09 LBP 276.7K

-27.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.20 LBP 733.7K

143.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$9.30 LBP 832.5K

-60.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$11.27 LBP 1.0M

20.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.81 LBP 161.6K

79.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.53 LBP 137.4K

7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.15 LBP 103.2K

102.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.10 LBP 98.5K

88.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.98 LBP 87.8K

58.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.53

$1.03 LBP 92.2K

41.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$0.82 LBP 73.3K

19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.51 LBP 46.0K

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.47 LBP 220.7K

76.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿619

$9.98 LBP 893.1K

86.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.29 LBP 115.4K

44.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.5

$2.14 LBP 191.2K

23.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$5.13 LBP 459.6K

-38.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.40

$1.24 LBP 110.7K

-16.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$19.81 LBP 1.8M

-29.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.83

$0.94 LBP 84.4K

42.55%

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

$27.8K ฿926.8K

$34.8K LBP 3.1B

-20.16%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$28.4K LBP 2.5B

17.70%

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

$123 ฿4,104

$215 LBP 19.3M

-42.81%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$37.45 LBP 3.4M

-63.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$37.83 LBP 3.4M

-51.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,024

$30.07 LBP 2.7M

101.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿572

$9.91 LBP 887.0K

73.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$7.90 LBP 707.1K

12.28%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$302 LBP 27.0M

127.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.2K

$4,436 LBP 397.0M

255.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$70.3 LBP 6.3M

-15.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$45.21 LBP 4.0M

-23.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,841

$99.4 LBP 8.9M

15.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,793

$71.1 LBP 6.4M

17.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$297 LBP 26.6M

109.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$246 LBP 22.0M

81.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,005 LBP 89.9M

102.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$503 LBP 45.0M

197.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sin el Fil: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $297 in Sin el Fil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Sin el Fil. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $224, 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,680 in Sin el Fil 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: $621 in Phuket versus $297 in Sin el Fil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $302 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 $49.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,120 in Sin el Fil versus $1,264 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.