Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacramento, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacramento, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,346 in Sacramento, CA versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,866 in Sacramento, CA versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,385 in Sacramento, CA versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sacramento, CA is roughly 172% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sacramento, CA is 150% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.72 $19.72

$4.63 ฿151

325.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$46.84 ฿1,523

68.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 $10.63

$8.84 ฿287

20.25%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$3.00 ฿97.4

89.33%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$0.74 ฿24.11

260.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$0.37 ฿11.88

462.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 $8.09

$2.44 ฿79.3

231.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$3.61 ฿117

121.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.26 ฿73.5

-47.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.84 ฿59.8

139.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.24 ฿73.0

142.41%

Eggs

$4.50 $4.50

$2.32 ฿75.3

93.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.80 $15.80

$19.67 ฿639

-19.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.02 $15.02

$3.65 ฿119

311.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.67 $18.67

$13.10 ฿426

42.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.39 ฿110

51.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.64 ฿53.4

28.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.41 ฿78.5

73.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.98 $6.98

$2.03 ฿66.0

243.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.56 ฿50.6

139.10%

Onion (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.50 ฿48.66

225.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.02 ฿33.30

175.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.49 ฿15.91

389.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.57 $11.57

$4.45 ฿145

160.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.71 $15.71

$18.88 ฿614

-16.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.78 ฿57.7

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.75 ฿89.5

8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.40 ฿45.54

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.8 $98.8

$11.48 ฿373

760.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.12 ฿101

29.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.00 ฿32.48

91.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.78 $27.78

$14.09 ฿458

97.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.35 ฿43.93

-4.44%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

10.52%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-14.68%

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

$335 $335

$125 ฿4,063

167.66%

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

$59.9 $59.9

$13.57 ฿441

341.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 $74.3

$18.52 ฿602

301.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.39 $44.39

$61.5 ฿1,999

-27.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.06 $30.06

$16.84 ฿547

78.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.03 $14.03

$9.19 ฿299

52.67%

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

$1,681 $1,681

$698 ฿22.7K

140.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K $27.5K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

76.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$57.8 ฿1,878

1.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 $65.4

$35.24 ฿1,146

85.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$113 ฿3,677

-18.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$86.4 ฿2,808

49.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 $2,056

$616 ฿20.0K

233.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,696 $1,696

$446 ฿14.5K

280.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,556 $3,556

$2,048 ฿66.6K

73.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,903 $2,903

$1,492 ฿48.5K

94.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,149 $5,149

$3,779 ฿122.8K

36.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,632 $3,632

$2,649 ฿86.1K

37.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,636 $4,636

$524 ฿17.0K

784.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.33

23.26%

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

Last update for Sacramento, CA: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,056 in Sacramento, CA and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sacramento, CA pays 785% 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: $79.0 in Sacramento, CA vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $292 per month, with Phuket 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

Sacramento, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 172% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sacramento, CA pays 785% 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: $2,056 in Sacramento, CA versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,681 in Sacramento, CA versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Sacramento, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,346 in Sacramento, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sacramento, CA. 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 Sacramento, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sacramento, CA 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Sacramento, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.