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 $1,008 in Sun City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,591 in Sun City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,174 in Sun City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than Sun City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sun City 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.99 R 184

-57.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$45.62 R 765

2.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.96 R 83.1

78.23%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.22 R 37.28

35.14%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.02 R 17.18

-27.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.76 R 12.76

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.74 R 45.89

-10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.49 R 41.73

44.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.09 R 18.27

107.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.75 R 12.53

145.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.66 R 27.80

34.94%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.45 R 41.16

-5.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.05 R 135

144.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.83 R 80.9

-24.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$6.79 R 114

92.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.67 R 28.01

102.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.52 R 25.46

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.52 R 25.50

58.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.59 R 26.72

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.49 R 24.99

4.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.45 R 24.38

3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.06 R 17.76

-3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.96 R 16.06

-48.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.05 R 51.1

45.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.94 R 99.7

217.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.35 R 22.66

31.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.65 R 27.64

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.61 R 26.92

-13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.09 R 18.34

186.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.91 R 15.22

9.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.99 R 66.9

253.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.29 R 21.58

4.65%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$22.3K R 373.8K

21.97%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.0K R 402.0K

37.34%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$96.7 R 1,622

29.21%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$40.11 R 673

-66.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$43.32 R 727

-57.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$30.75 R 516

99.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.04 R 51.1

202.30%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$210 R 3,522

232.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,957 R 83.1K

214.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$50.3 R 844

14.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$33.58 R 563

4.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$67.3 R 1,128

68.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$77.2 R 1,294

11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$364 R 6,099

69.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$337 R 5,657

32.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$698 R 11.7K

193.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$684 R 11.5K

118.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$701 R 11.8K

438.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$714 R 12.0K

270.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,512 R 25.4K

-65.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.51

-53.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sun City: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $364 in Sun City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sun City pays 189% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Sun City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $180 per month, with Sun City 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 Sun City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sun City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sun City earns 189% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $364 in Sun City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $210 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 Sun City – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,008 in Sun City versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sun City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sun City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sun City 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 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 Sun City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.