Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sumy Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sumy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $731 in Sumy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,073 in Sumy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,415 in Sumy.

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than Sumy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sumy 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.26 ₴320

-36.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$14.41 ₴635

225.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.92 ₴261

49.32%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.04 ₴45.84

188.46%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.67 ₴29.58

10.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.45 ₴19.91

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$0.82 ₴35.97

197.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.12 ₴49.37

222.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.09 ₴48.13

107.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.81 ₴35.66

127.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.77 ₴78.1

26.55%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.05 ₴90.5

13.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.17 ₴448

93.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.31 ₴190

-15.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.77 ₴342

68.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.97 ₴42.97

249.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.47 ₴64.6

11.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.76 ₴77.4

36.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.29 ₴101

-11.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.47 ₴20.68

231.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.54 ₴23.89

177.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.40 ₴61.9

-27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.58 ₴25.53

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.88 ₴127

54.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.70 ₴251

231.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.88 ₴38.93

102.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.54 ₴68.0

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.37 ₴16.45

278.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.07 ₴91.4

50.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.37 ₴16.40

170.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.29 ₴189

228.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.37 ₴60.3

-1.46%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$31.7K ₴1.4M

-14.17%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.7K ₴1.1M

33.39%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$112 ₴4,930

11.73%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.69 ₴251

138.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$6.86 ₴302

169.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$28.75 ₴1,267

113.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$6.06 ₴267

177.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.98 ₴131

208.39%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$386 ₴17.0K

81.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,719 ₴340.2K

101.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$48.67 ₴2,145

18.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$35.99 ₴1,586

-2.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$104 ₴4,568

9.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$112 ₴4,922

-22.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$231 ₴10.2K

166.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$147 ₴6,470

203.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$344 ₴15.2K

495.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$219 ₴9,668

580.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$889 ₴39.2K

325.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$545 ₴24.0K

386.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$400 ₴17.6K

30.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-55.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sumy: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $231 in Sumy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Sumy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $176 per month, with Sumy cheaper across the board.

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 Sumy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sumy is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 31% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $231 in Sumy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $386 in Sumy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sumy – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Sumy versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sumy but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sumy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sumy 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 Sumy 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 Sumy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.