Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sumba

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumba: $207 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Sumba

🇫🇴 Faroe Islands

$207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sumba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Sumba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $207 in Sumba.

Phuket $1,207
Sumba $207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $280 in Sumba.

Phuket $2,037
Sumba $280

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $353 in Sumba.

Phuket $2,867
Sumba $353

Living in Phuket is roughly 483% more expensive than in Sumba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Sumba 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$2.22 FOK 14.75

-21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$10.60 FOK 70.5

-59.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$12.16 FOK 80.9

49.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.31 FOK 15.35

-24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.81 FOK 12.01

54.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$4.42 FOK 29.42

-49.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.97 FOK 13.08

-24.37%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

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

$11.28 ฿377

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$60.1 FOK 400

-71.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$37.77 FOK 251

38.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$14.98 FOK 99.6

-49.47%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sumba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Sumba

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Sumba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Sumba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Sumba

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Sumba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Sumba

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Sumba

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇫🇴 Sumba

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

11:08 11:08 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

300

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Faroese Króna FOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 FOK = 0.15 USD

1 FOK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FOK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Faroese Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 FOK (1 FOK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 FOK (1 FOK = 0.134 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Sumba 10,030 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sumba

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sumba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 483% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,811 in Phuket and $311 in Sumba 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 334% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $207 in Sumba – a 483% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $207 in Sumba versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sumba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sumba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sumba 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 Sumba 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 Sumba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 483% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.