Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Suwaylih Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Suwaylih

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $697 in Suwaylih.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,246 in Suwaylih.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,795 in Suwaylih.

Living in Phuket is roughly 81% more expensive than Suwaylih, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Suwaylih 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$6.94 JOD 4.91

-34.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$49.48 JOD 35.02

-5.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.32 JOD 4.47

34.02%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$0.68 JOD 0.48

345.59%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.41 JOD 0.29

68.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.22 JOD 0.16

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$5.66 JOD 4.01

-56.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.86 JOD 4.86

-46.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.44 JOD 1.02

51.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.33 JOD 0.24

475.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.71 JOD 1.21

28.65%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.57 JOD 1.82

-13.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.79 JOD 4.10

245.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.07 JOD 2.18

19.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.59 JOD 6.79

38.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.97 JOD 1.40

63.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.44 JOD 1.02

18.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.37 JOD 0.97

74.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.72 JOD 0.51

188.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.87 JOD 0.62

82.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.68 JOD 0.48

117.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.65 JOD 0.46

58.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.41 JOD 0.29

26.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.48 JOD 2.46

22.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$20.76 JOD 14.69

-9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$4.80 JOD 3.40

-63.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$5.41 JOD 3.83

-48.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.68 JOD 0.48

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.33 JOD 0.24

851.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.40 JOD 0.99

-25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$7.13 JOD 5.05

93.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.42 JOD 1.01

-5.63%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.9K JOD 19.0K

2.93%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$32.1K JOD 22.7K

5.38%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$35.31 JOD 25.00

250.01%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$16.97 JOD 12.01

-20.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$28.56 JOD 20.21

-34.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$42.99 JOD 30.43

43.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$21.46 JOD 15.19

-19.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$11.32 JOD 8.01

-19.26%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$278 JOD 197

152.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$5,375 JOD 3,804

195.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$35.95 JOD 25.44

65.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$26.94 JOD 19.07

30.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$70.6 JOD 49.97

63.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$71.4 JOD 50.5

17.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$140 JOD 99.2

341.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$111 JOD 78.7

289.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$415 JOD 294

397.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$356 JOD 252

324.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$981 JOD 694

271.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$899 JOD 636

192.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$776 JOD 549

-34.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.27

-26.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Suwaylih: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $140 in Suwaylih. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suwaylih pays 53% 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 $49.00 in Suwaylih. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $212, with Suwaylih 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 Suwaylih: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suwaylih is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Suwaylih earns 53% 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 $140 in Suwaylih. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $278 in Suwaylih. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Suwaylih – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $697 in Suwaylih versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Suwaylih but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Suwaylih the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Suwaylih 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 Suwaylih 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 Suwaylih gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.