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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,198 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,075 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,953 in Sosua.

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Sosua, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Sosua 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$8.35 DOP 485

-46.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$50.9 DOP 2,959

-10.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.10 DOP 413

23.38%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.72 DOP 158

9.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.02 DOP 59.3

-32.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.77 DOP 44.83

-49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.48 DOP 144

2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.97 DOP 289

-24.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.38 DOP 80.4

55.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.79 DOP 104

1.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.12 DOP 64.9

94.64%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.82 DOP 106

23.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.23 DOP 420

176.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.39 DOP 371

-43.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.81 DOP 454

73.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.55 DOP 148

27.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.82 DOP 47.79

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.93 DOP 170

-20.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.96 DOP 114

5.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.35 DOP 136

-34.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.27 DOP 132

-35.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.04 DOP 60.2

-5.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.78 DOP 45.21

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.91 DOP 344

-26.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.91 DOP 634

70.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.57 DOP 150

-27.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.53 DOP 147

4.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.66 DOP 38.20

115.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.48 DOP 202

-8.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.20 DOP 128

-53.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.82 DOP 338

138.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.27 DOP 73.7

5.51%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

5.64%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

4.28%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$77.4 DOP 4,496

59.04%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$20.00 DOP 1,162

-31.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$36.71 DOP 2,133

-50.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$25.00 DOP 1,453

142.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.62 DOP 385

33.99%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$266 DOP 15.5K

158.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,285 DOP 365.2K

151.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$60.0 DOP 3,484

-1.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$51.3 DOP 2,979

-32.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$97.7 DOP 5,679

17.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$114 DOP 6,600

-26.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$468 DOP 27.2K

32.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$465 DOP 27.0K

-4.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,425 DOP 82.8K

42.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,300 DOP 75.6K

15.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,946 DOP 113.1K

77.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,802 DOP 104.7K

40.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.9

-58.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sosua: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $468 in Sosua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Sosua. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $225, 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

Sosua is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,797 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: $621 in Phuket versus $468 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $266 in Sosua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sosua – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,198 in Sosua versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sosua but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sosua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sosua 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 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 Sosua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.