Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sutomore Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sutomore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,405 in Sutomore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,167 in Sutomore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,928 in Sutomore.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 10% less than in Sutomore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Sutomore is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$13.76 €11.93

-66.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$58.1 €50.4

-19.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$10.13 €8.78

-16.39%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.93 €2.54

3.41%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$2.15 €1.87

-67.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$1.47 €1.27

-74.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$3.30 €2.86

-24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.57 €3.10

2.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.43 €1.24

52.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$1.13 €0.98

68.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.78 €1.54

23.60%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$3.21 €2.78

-30.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$8.83 €7.65

126.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$7.28 €6.31

-49.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$9.45 €8.19

40.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.26 €1.09

156.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.78 €1.54

-4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$1.69 €1.46

41.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.79 €2.42

-25.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$1.08 €0.94

47.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$1.13 €0.98

30.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.72 €1.49

-40.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$1.19 €1.03

-56.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$3.99 €3.46

6.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$4.49 €3.89

318.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.28 €1.11

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.81 €1.57

52.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$1.42 €1.23

-4.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$37.53 €32.53

-69.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$1.18 €1.03

166.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.70 €0.60

48.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$11.79 €10.22

16.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.73 €1.50

-22.54%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$30.6K €26.5K

-9.49%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$26.8K €23.2K

26.39%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$142 €123

-12.66%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$18.66 €16.17

-27.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$33.26 €28.83

-43.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$44.93 €38.94

37.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$14.19 €12.30

21.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$3.39 €2.94

169.62%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$416 €361

68.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$10.2K €8,831

55.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$22.78 €19.74

161.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$37.99 €32.92

-7.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$113 €98.2

1.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$129 €112

-34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$377 €326

64.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$530 €459

-18.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$1,251 €1,084

64.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$927 €803

63.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$3,975 €3,445

-8.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$2,617 €2,268

0.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$681 €590

-25.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.38

-0.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sutomore: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $377 in Sutomore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sutomore pays 34% 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 $58.0 in Sutomore. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $220, with Sutomore 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 Sutomore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sutomore earns 34% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $377 in Sutomore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $416 in Sutomore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sutomore pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,405 in Sutomore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sutomore. 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 Sutomore, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sutomore 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 11% less than in Sutomore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.