Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabac and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabac and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $865 in Sabac versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,319 in Sabac versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,774 in Sabac versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Sabac costs roughly 31% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sabac 37% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.32 RSD 841

$4.56 ฿151

82.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.46 RSD 2,876

$32.62 ฿1,082

-12.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.76 RSD 683

$8.90 ฿295

-24.04%

Cappuccino

$2.04 RSD 207

$2.80 ฿93.0

-27.14%

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

$1.91 RSD 193

$0.88 ฿29.19

117.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 146

$0.49 ฿16.23

193.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 RSD 277

$2.39 ฿79.2

14.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 RSD 274

$3.71 ฿123

-26.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 RSD 137

$1.79 ฿59.3

-24.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 RSD 65.5

$1.44 ฿47.81

-54.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 RSD 193

$1.58 ฿52.6

20.89%

Eggs

$2.04 RSD 206

$2.13 ฿70.5

-4.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 RSD 621

$19.92 ฿661

-69.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 RSD 685

$3.43 ฿114

97.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 RSD 1,217

$11.33 ฿376

6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 RSD 129

$2.95 ฿97.8

-56.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 RSD 201

$1.72 ฿57.1

15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 RSD 147

$2.32 ฿77.1

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 RSD 203

$2.08 ฿69.0

-3.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 RSD 69.3

$1.47 ฿48.77

-53.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 RSD 36.41

$1.36 ฿45.05

-73.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 RSD 110

$1.10 ฿36.45

-0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 RSD 46.20

$0.57 ฿19.06

-19.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 RSD 371

$4.27 ฿142

-14.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 RSD 826

$18.42 ฿611

-55.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 RSD 72.1

$1.87 ฿62.1

-62.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 RSD 104

$2.92 ฿96.9

-64.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 RSD 109

$2.22 ฿73.6

-51.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 RSD 154

$3.03 ฿101

-49.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 RSD 97.8

$1.07 ฿35.63

-9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 RSD 543

$3.93 ฿130

36.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 RSD 190

$1.49 ฿49.49

26.17%

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

$32.1K RSD 3.2M

$27.1K ฿899.8K

18.16%

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

$26.6K RSD 2.7M

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-3.19%

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

$144 RSD 14.5K

$103 ฿3,410

40.01%

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

$26.69 RSD 2,697

$10.99 ฿365

142.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.95 RSD 2,017

$17.51 ฿581

13.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.69 RSD 3,102

$53.5 ฿1,776

-42.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.00 RSD 1,415

$11.20 ฿371

25.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 RSD 592

$7.48 ฿248

-21.66%

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

$181 RSD 18.3K

$557 ฿18.5K

-67.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,009 RSD 405.2K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-66.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 RSD 6,395

$64.1 ฿2,125

-1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 RSD 6,858

$29.07 ฿964

133.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 RSD 6,134

$96.0 ฿3,183

-36.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 RSD 12.5K

$90.3 ฿2,997

37.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 RSD 24.4K

$730 ฿24.2K

-66.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 RSD 15.9K

$500 ฿16.6K

-68.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 RSD 36.2K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-82.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 RSD 27.2K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-77.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,970 RSD 199.1K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-45.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,556 RSD 157.3K

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-38.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$983 RSD 99.4K

$503 ฿16.7K

95.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.84

5.57

-13.11%

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

Last update for Sabac: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Sabac and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabac pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Sabac vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $273 per month, with Sabac 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

Sabac vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sabac is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Sabac, 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: $241 in Sabac versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $181 in Sabac versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sabac – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $865 in Sabac versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sabac but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sabac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sabac 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, Sabac and Phuket 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 Sabac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.