Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sylhet Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sylhet

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $347 in Sylhet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $561 in Sylhet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $774 in Sylhet.

Living in Phuket is roughly 263% more expensive than Sylhet, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sylhet 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.07 ৳253

120.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$10.54 ৳1,292

342.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.18 ৳512

102.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 ৳494

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ৳520

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.83 ৳224

65.57%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.31 ৳38.51

122.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.17 ৳20.78

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.76 ৳92.7

186.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.46 ৳56.3

313.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.60 ৳73.9

266.67%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.25 ৳153

77.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.90 ৳846

189.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.45 ৳300

49.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.13 ৳751

116.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.15 ৳264

50.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.01 ৳123

68.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.10 ৳257

13.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.48 ৳58.5

333.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.39 ৳47.43

307.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.62 ৳76.5

138.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.33 ৳39.83

212.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.28 ৳34.72

85.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 ৳346

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ৳269

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ৳534

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.72 ৳333

56.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.40 ৳48.48

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$16.37 ৳2,006

-30.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.85 ৳104

269.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.34 ৳41.95

205.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.52 ৳186

805.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.99 ৳121

35.35%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$28.7K ৳3.5M

-3.42%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$25.0K ৳3.1M

35.60%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$30.06 ৳3,684

311.14%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$4.72 ৳579

186.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$13.04 ৳1,598

43.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$9.83 ৳1,204

528.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$7.96 ৳976

116.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.00 ৳491

128.50%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$36.96 ৳4,529

1801.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$953 ৳116.8K

1565.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$13.96 ৳1,711

325.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$17.20 ৳2,107

103.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$38.54 ৳4,722

199.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$36.09 ৳4,422

132.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$70.3 ৳8,615

779.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$59.6 ৳7,303

625.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$164 ৳20.1K

1155.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$113 ৳13.8K

1238.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$696 ৳85.3K

423.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$351 ৳43.0K

647.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$222 ৳27.1K

128.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.83

-39.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sylhet: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $70.3 in Sylhet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 129% 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 $11.00 in Sylhet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $106 per month, with Sylhet 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 Sylhet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sylhet is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 263% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 129% more on average, 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: $619 in Phuket versus $70.3 in Sylhet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $36.96 in Sylhet. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 177% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $347 in Sylhet versus $1,261 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 263% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.