Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sosua Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sosua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,431 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,265 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,099 in Sosua.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 14% less than in Sosua, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Sosua is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.09 DOP 593

-56.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$51.5 DOP 3,024

-37.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.84 DOP 461

13.90%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.45 DOP 144

18.37%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.12 DOP 66.0

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.69 DOP 40.42

-30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.61 DOP 154

-9.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.60 DOP 212

3.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.37 DOP 80.7

36.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.58 DOP 93.1

-6.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.69 DOP 40.67

124.64%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.04 DOP 120

2.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.41 DOP 436

164.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.72 DOP 336

-40.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$6.77 DOP 398

68.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.14 DOP 184

-5.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.85 DOP 50.2

97.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.76 DOP 162

-19.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.29 DOP 75.8

67.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.80 DOP 106

-15.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.28 DOP 134

-41.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.70 DOP 41.00

61.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.41 DOP 23.95

34.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.42 DOP 318

-21.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$10.38 DOP 610

83.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.57 DOP 151

-30.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.40 DOP 141

15.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.38 DOP 199

-10.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.22 DOP 131

-54.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.05 DOP 355

-35.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.33 DOP 78.4

12.03%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$24.1K DOP 1.4M

10.18%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$34.6K DOP 2.0M

-21.77%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$66.5 DOP 3,907

54.09%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$29.29 DOP 1,721

-61.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$34.18 DOP 2,008

-49.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.77 DOP 457

-1.03%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$260 DOP 15.3K

115.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,548 DOP 443.5K

52.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$46.07 DOP 2,707

36.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$47.41 DOP 2,786

-37.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$89.6 DOP 5,263

9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$129 DOP 7,580

-31.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$892 DOP 52.4K

-17.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$801 DOP 47.1K

-39.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,765 DOP 103.7K

19.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,554 DOP 91.3K

-21.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,862 DOP 109.4K

94.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,785 DOP 104.9K

45.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.56

-58.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sosua: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $892 in Sosua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Sosua. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $206, with Sosua 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 Sosua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,146 in Sosua 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: $738 in Phuket versus $892 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $260 in Sosua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $51.0 in Sosua. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,431 in Sosua, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sosua. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sosua, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sosua 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Sosua. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.