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 $1,206 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,065 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,925 in Sosua.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than Sosua, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sosua 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$8.60 DOP 512

-46.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$50.2 DOP 2,988

-6.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$6.94 DOP 413

27.38%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$2.65 DOP 158

13.21%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$1.03 DOP 61.3

-28.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.82 DOP 48.92

-54.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$2.51 DOP 149

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$5.03 DOP 299

-28.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.38 DOP 82.2

63.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$1.78 DOP 106

3.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.12 DOP 66.4

100.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$1.88 DOP 112

23.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$7.05 DOP 420

179.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.36 DOP 379

-42.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$7.71 DOP 459

69.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$2.59 DOP 154

30.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$0.83 DOP 49.56

97.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$2.93 DOP 174

-17.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$1.98 DOP 118

2.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$2.27 DOP 135

-31.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$2.31 DOP 137

-35.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$1.04 DOP 61.8

-1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.74 DOP 44.25

-33.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.64 DOP 336

-21.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$11.76 DOP 700

60.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$2.55 DOP 152

-30.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$2.45 DOP 146

12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$0.71 DOP 42.48

97.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$3.49 DOP 208

-10.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$2.22 DOP 132

-54.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$6.01 DOP 358

134.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.32 DOP 78.4

2.27%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$26.7K DOP 1.6M

1.96%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.6K DOP 1.9M

4.34%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$77.0 DOP 4,581

62.37%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$20.62 DOP 1,227

-34.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$35.91 DOP 2,137

-48.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$25.69 DOP 1,529

139.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$6.78 DOP 403

35.55%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$263 DOP 15.7K

165.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$6,391 DOP 380.4K

143.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$61.1 DOP 3,635

-5.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$51.5 DOP 3,066

-31.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$94.5 DOP 5,623

19.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$115 DOP 6,848

-24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$466 DOP 27.7K

32.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$481 DOP 28.6K

-7.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$1,455 DOP 86.6K

40.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$1,269 DOP 75.6K

17.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$1,844 DOP 109.7K

104.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$1,761 DOP 104.8K

50.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sosua: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $466 in Sosua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in Sosua. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 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 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,809 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: $616 in Phuket versus $466 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $263 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 $50.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,206 in Sosua versus $1,232 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 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.