Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sun City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sun City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,303 in Sun City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,006 in Sun City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,709 in Sun City.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Sun City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$12.67 R 206

-65.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$48.01 R 780

-32.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.55 R 123

18.28%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.56 R 41.67

13.28%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.20 R 19.53

-26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$1.00 R 16.21

-52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.13 R 34.65

10.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.88 R 46.82

29.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.35 R 21.99

38.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.32 R 21.37

11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.80 R 29.25

-13.89%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.68 R 43.56

-21.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$8.95 R 145

118.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.80 R 94.2

-41.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$8.81 R 143

29.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.19 R 35.64

36.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.95 R 31.71

-13.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.90 R 30.87

16.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$2.13 R 34.62

1.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.78 R 28.88

-14.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.89 R 30.67

-29.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.49 R 24.16

-24.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$1.37 R 22.25

-59.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.36 R 54.6

26.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$6.10 R 99.0

212.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.85 R 30.13

-3.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.45 R 39.85

13.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.54 R 25.03

44.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.97 R 15.78

212.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.93 R 15.07

9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$15.10 R 245

-74.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.54 R 25.01

-3.25%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$37.1K R 602.5K

-28.33%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$33.1K R 538.0K

-18.37%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$229 R 3,716

-55.19%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$38.00 R 617

-70.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$38.27 R 622

-54.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$33.47 R 544

55.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$8.38 R 136

-8.23%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$253 R 4,103

121.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$5,666 R 92.1K

103.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$59.3 R 964

6.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$46.87 R 761

-37.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$108 R 1,754

-9.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$109 R 1,771

-18.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$435 R 7,064

69.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$381 R 6,183

26.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$798 R 13.0K

164.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$774 R 12.6K

58.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$903 R 14.7K

300.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$684 R 11.1K

280.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.91

-48.95%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sun City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $435 in Sun City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $48.00 in Sun City. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $226, with Sun City 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 Sun City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,954 in Sun City 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: $738 in Phuket versus $435 in Sun City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $253 in Sun City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $48.00 in Sun City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,303 in Sun City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sun City. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sun City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sun City 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Sun City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.