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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,204 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,051 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,898 in Sosua.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sosua 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$8.32 DOP 487

-45.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$51.7 DOP 3,029

-9.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.23 DOP 424

17.15%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.71 DOP 158

11.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.03 DOP 60.5

-33.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.84 DOP 49.30

-55.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.51 DOP 147

-0.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.13 DOP 301

-28.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.39 DOP 81.4

56.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.80 DOP 106

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.17 DOP 68.3

88.03%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.81 DOP 106

22.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.02 DOP 411

184.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.21 DOP 364

-41.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.87 DOP 461

68.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.64 DOP 155

22.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.77 DOP 45.09

120.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.98 DOP 174

-19.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.89 DOP 111

10.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.37 DOP 139

-32.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.32 DOP 136

-36.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.00 DOP 58.6

3.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.75 DOP 43.86

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.61 DOP 328

-24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.78 DOP 632

74.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.60 DOP 152

-32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.52 DOP 148

9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.70 DOP 41.26

94.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.50 DOP 205

-10.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.18 DOP 128

-52.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$5.80 DOP 340

137.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.32 DOP 77.2

1.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.5K DOP 1.6M

4.46%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$31.9K DOP 1.9M

6.28%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$77.8 DOP 4,557

58.88%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$20.16 DOP 1,181

-32.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$35.88 DOP 2,102

-47.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$25.96 DOP 1,521

138.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.60 DOP 386

38.48%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$267 DOP 15.6K

163.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,318 DOP 370.1K

151.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$59.2 DOP 3,465

0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$52.1 DOP 3,050

-32.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$96.1 DOP 5,631

19.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$114 DOP 6,698

-26.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$460 DOP 26.9K

34.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$474 DOP 27.7K

-8.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,440 DOP 84.3K

43.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,299 DOP 76.1K

16.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,924 DOP 112.7K

89.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,834 DOP 107.4K

43.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sosua: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $460 in Sosua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $52.0 in Sosua. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $223, 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 $1,892 in Phuket and $1,806 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: $619 in Phuket versus $460 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $267 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 $52.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Sosua versus $1,261 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.