Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sunny Beach Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sunny Beach

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,094 in Sunny Beach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,685 in Sunny Beach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,276 in Sunny Beach.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than Sunny Beach, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sunny Beach 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$8.07 BGN 13.42

-41.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$40.91 BGN 68.1

10.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.97 BGN 16.58

-15.45%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.97 BGN 3.27

48.73%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.30 BGN 2.17

-46.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.05 BGN 1.74

-64.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.80 BGN 2.99

33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.73 BGN 2.88

115.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.96 BGN 3.26

13.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.57 BGN 0.95

221.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.78 BGN 4.63

-21.94%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.89 BGN 6.47

-43.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.17 BGN 21.91

49.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.20 BGN 13.63

-55.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.74 BGN 21.19

6.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.66 BGN 2.77

97.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.18 BGN 3.62

-26.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.74 BGN 2.89

38.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.88 BGN 4.79

-27.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.17 BGN 1.94

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.44 BGN 2.39

2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.22 BGN 2.03

-18.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.72 BGN 1.20

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.73 BGN 6.20

18.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$5.94 BGN 9.88

226.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.15 BGN 1.91

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.69 BGN 2.81

60.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.15 BGN 1.92

19.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$26.89 BGN 44.73

-57.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.17 BGN 1.94

158.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.65 BGN 1.08

52.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$11.61 BGN 19.31

21.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.54 BGN 2.55

-11.69%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$37.3K BGN 62.0K

-24.32%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.9K BGN 58.0K

-5.62%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$121 BGN 201

0.63%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$17.44 BGN 29.01

-22.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$13.50 BGN 22.46

35.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$29.54 BGN 49.15

103.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.91 BGN 24.80

14.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.20 BGN 11.98

20.69%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$327 BGN 545

111.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,399 BGN 8,982

190.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$35.17 BGN 58.5

69.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$28.93 BGN 48.12

20.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$126 BGN 209

-8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$78.2 BGN 130

6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$595 BGN 989

3.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$350 BGN 582

24.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$719 BGN 1,196

191.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$539 BGN 897

179.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,394 BGN 2,320

168.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,168 BGN 1,944

123.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$954 BGN 1,586

-46.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.1

4.51%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sunny Beach: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $595 in Sunny Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunny Beach pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Sunny Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $254 per month, with Sunny Beach 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 Sunny Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sunny Beach is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sunny Beach earns 88% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $595 in Sunny Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $327 in Sunny Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,094 in Sunny Beach versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sunny Beach but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sunny Beach the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sunny Beach 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 Sunny Beach 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 Sunny Beach gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.