Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sylhet

For one person, living is cheaper in Sylhet: $365 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Sylhet
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Sylhet Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Sylhet

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sylhet

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Sylhet actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $365 in Sylhet.

Phuket $1,207
Sylhet $365

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $617 in Sylhet.

Phuket $2,037
Sylhet $617

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $869 in Sylhet.

Phuket $2,867
Sylhet $869

Living in Phuket is roughly 231% more expensive than in Sylhet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Sylhet 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$2.46 ৳304

86.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,090

$11.56 ৳1,429

180.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$4.01 ৳496

113.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.02 ৳497

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 ৳506

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.4

$1.98 ৳244

37.37%

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

$0.94 ฿31.38

$0.31 ৳37.68

203.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.46

$0.15 ৳18.51

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$0.79 ৳98.0

120.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿48.02

$0.59 ৳73.1

142.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$0.65 ৳79.8

135.38%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$1.18 ৳145

83.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿643

$7.83 ৳967

144.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.35 ৳414

-1.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$6.55 ৳809

70.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.9

$2.68 ৳331

10.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.4

$0.90 ৳111

86.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.1

$2.42 ৳299

-4.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.6

$0.60 ৳74.5

255.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$0.26 ৳32.34

488.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.74

$0.46 ৳57.4

195.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.60

$0.32 ৳39.47

250.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.31

$0.27 ৳33.13

103.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.81 ৳347

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ৳253

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 ৳500

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$2.76 ৳341

54.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿611

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.4

$0.70 ৳86.4

217.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿740

$24.05 ৳2,971

-8.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.7

$1.24 ৳153

134.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.94

$0.15 ৳18.58

573.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.17 ৳144

227.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.1

$1.08 ৳134

37.96%

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

$26.7K ฿895.4K

$29.9K ৳3.7M

-10.65%

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

$26.7K ฿896.4K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-19.04%

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

$99.4 ฿3,335

$25.97 ৳3,208

282.63%

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

$11.28 ฿379

$4.23 ৳522

166.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿583

$10.48 ৳1,294

65.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,755

$9.05 ৳1,118

477.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿364

$4.01 ৳495

170.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$4.02 ৳497

88.31%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$28.87 ৳3,566

1833.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿385.5K

$995 ৳122.9K

1054.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,110

$16.22 ৳2,004

287.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿959

$16.43 ৳2,030

73.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,226

$36.99 ৳4,570

159.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,955

$30.47 ৳3,764

189.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.5K

$129 ৳15.9K

467.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$57.6 ৳7,112

698.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.3K

$173 ৳21.3K

1113.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.0K

$162 ৳20.0K

656.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿116.1K

$706 ৳87.2K

389.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.5K

$350 ৳43.3K

610.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$224 ৳27.7K

119.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.48

-46.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sylhet: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Sylhet

$58 15.8% 87.5% $402

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Sylhet

$119 32.5% 55.6% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Sylhet

$41 11.1% 68.2% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Sylhet

$45 12.3% 63.7% $79

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Sylhet

$57 15.7% 52.8% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Sylhet

$17 4.7% 74.7% $50

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Sylhet

$29 7.9% 25.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $129 in Sylhet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 120% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Sylhet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $119 per month, with Sylhet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇩 Sylhet

🕒 Local time

12:14 12:14 PM

11:14 11:14 AM

1 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

526,412

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.1 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.23 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.56 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.1 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.23 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Sylhet 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sylhet

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sylhet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sylhet is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 231% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 120% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $129 in Sylhet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $28.87 in Sylhet. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 125% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $365 in Sylhet versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sylhet but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sylhet the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sylhet 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 Sylhet 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 Sylhet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 231% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.