đMonthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $520 in SÄŤrjÄn.
đEstimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $823 in SÄŤrjÄn.
đMonthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,126 in SÄŤrjÄn.
đLiving in Phuket is roughly 142% more expensive than SÄŤrjÄn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
đBoth cities sit below the global median: Phuket6% lower, SÄŤrjÄn61% lower.
Currency
đ˝ Eating Out
Phuket
SÄŤrjÄn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.56฿149
$4.08$4.08
11.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.63฿1,519
$17.03$17.03
173.81%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.47฿276
$4.63$4.63
82.94%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.68$0.68
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.01$1.01
-
Cappuccino
$3.03฿98.6
$1.11$1.11
172.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69฿22.45
$0.43$0.43
60.47%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.92
$1.02$1.02
-63.73%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.49฿81.0
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66฿119
-
-
đ Groceries & Markets
Phuket
SÄŤrjÄn
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.18฿71.0
$0.60$0.60
263.33%
White Bread(500g)
$1.90฿62.0
$0.56$0.56
239.29%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.20฿71.6
$1.86$1.86
18.28%
Eggs
$2.22฿72.4
$1.19$1.19
86.55%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.99฿651
$3.42$3.42
484.50%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.66฿119
$3.23$3.23
13.31%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.25฿432
$9.94$9.94
33.30%
Apples(1kg)
$3.23฿105
$0.87$0.87
271.26%
Banana(1kg)
$1.70฿55.3
$1.36$1.36
25.00%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.39฿78.0
$0.86$0.86
177.91%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.08฿67.7
$0.58$0.58
258.62%
Potato(1kg)
$1.59฿51.8
$0.48$0.48
231.25%
Onion(1kg)
$1.48฿48.31
$0.49$0.49
202.04%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03฿33.54
$0.59$0.59
74.58%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52฿16.83
$0.25$0.25
108.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
-
$0.63$0.63
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.46$0.46
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.44$1.44
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.25฿138
$2.14$2.14
98.60%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.79฿612
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76฿57.2
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76฿89.8
-
-
đ Getting Around
Phuket
SÄŤrjÄn
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.36฿44.32
$0.21$0.21
547.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.36฿370
$9.89$9.89
14.86%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.14฿102
$0.34$0.34
823.53%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.04฿33.74
$0.29$0.29
258.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$13.77฿448
$2.03$2.03
578.33%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.34฿43.79
$0.73$0.73
83.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K฿901.4K
$72.6K$72.6K
-61.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K฿1.1M
$54.0K$54.0K
-37.33%
đ§ž Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
SÄŤrjÄn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$124฿4,025
$16.04$16.04
670.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.52฿440
$2.03$2.03
566.01%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69฿609
$5.63$5.63
231.97%
đ Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
SÄŤrjÄn
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.8฿2,013
$15.95$15.95
287.59%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.25฿562
$12.46$12.46
38.44%
Cinema Ticket
$9.14฿298
$1.54$1.54
493.51%
𧸠Childcare & Education
Phuket
SÄŤrjÄn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$703฿22.9K
$114$114
516.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.9K฿517.0K
$1,964$1,964
708.30%
đđ Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
SÄŤrjÄn
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5฿1,937
$22.39$22.39
165.56%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.07฿1,142
$24.93$24.93
40.67%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115฿3,754
$108$108
6.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.1฿2,737
$69.2$69.2
21.44%
đ Accommodation & Living
Phuket
SÄŤrjÄn
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$619฿20.1K
$287$287
115.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$433฿14.1K
$203$203
113.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,062฿67.2K
$626$626
229.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,511฿49.2K
$325$325
365.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,646฿118.7K
$1,137$1,137
220.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,626฿85.5K
$615$615
327.18%
đľ Salaries & Financials
Phuket
SÄŤrjÄn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$507฿16.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
22.24
-76.03%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input â minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026
Last update for SÄŤrjÄn: June 7, 2026
Cost Breakdown
đ A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $287 in SÄŤrjÄn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
đDining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in SÄŤrjÄn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $107 per month, with SÄŤrjÄn 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 SÄŤrjÄn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is SÄŤrjÄn cheaper than Phuket?
SÄŤrjÄn is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $781 in SÄŤrjÄn 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and SÄŤrjÄn?
Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $287 in SÄŤrjÄn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $114 in SÄŤrjÄn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and SÄŤrjÄn?
Supermarket bills run roughly 175% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for Phuket or SÄŤrjÄn?
At $520 in SÄŤrjÄn versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in SÄŤrjÄn but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes SÄŤrjÄn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or SÄŤrjÄn more family-friendly?
For families, SÄŤrjÄn 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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or SÄŤrjÄn?
Safety-wise, Phuket and SÄŤrjÄn are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find SÄŤrjÄn gentler on the wallet â expenses run 142% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.