Cost of Living Comparison Between Saku and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saku and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,036 in Saku versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,642 in Saku versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,249 in Saku versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Saku costs roughly 17% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saku 22% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 €14.43

$4.55 ฿153

262.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 €61.4

$46.18 ฿1,554

52.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 €8.48

$8.84 ฿298

9.62%

Cappuccino

$3.79 €3.32

$3.06 ฿103

23.86%

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

$2.59 €2.26

$0.73 ฿24.42

254.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.26

$0.40 ฿13.40

545.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 €4.54

$2.43 ฿81.8

113.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.01

$3.78 ฿127

51.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$2.26 ฿76.0

-45.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.81 ฿60.9

-21.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €2.00

$2.25 ฿75.8

1.33%

Eggs

$2.91 €2.55

$2.25 ฿75.6

29.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 €10.84

$19.51 ฿656

-36.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.84

$3.65 ฿123

145.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 €9.83

$13.05 ฿439

-13.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 €1.65

$3.23 ฿109

-41.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.62 ฿54.4

-2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 €2.12

$2.38 ฿80.2

1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.03 ฿68.2

16.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 €0.88

$1.53 ฿51.6

-34.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 €0.86

$1.50 ฿50.5

-34.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 €1.70

$0.98 ฿32.93

98.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.88

$0.52 ฿17.40

94.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 €5.71

$4.44 ฿149

47.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 €9.14

$18.32 ฿616

-42.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.86 ฿62.7

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.93

$2.68 ฿90.2

-17.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 €2.91

$3.11 ฿105

7.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.65

$1.04 ฿35.08

-28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €15.17

$14.11 ฿475

22.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.71

$1.31 ฿44.13

48.85%

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

$28.6K €25.0K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

2.73%

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

$30.2K €26.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-9.10%

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

$266 €233

$122 ฿4,120

117.10%

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

$20.12 €17.61

$13.59 ฿457

48.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.82 €31.34

$18.70 ฿629

91.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 €10.23

$9.07 ฿305

28.89%

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

$115 €101

$706 ฿23.8K

-83.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,799 €6,823

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-50.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €99.9

$58.6 ฿1,970

95.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.33 €34.41

$35.36 ฿1,190

11.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 €85.3

$115 ฿3,885

-15.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €93.8

$83.7 ฿2,818

27.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,144 €3,625

$3,483 ฿117.2K

18.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,764 €2,418

$2,577 ฿86.7K

7.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,829 €1,600

$500 ฿16.8K

265.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

5.33

-19.32%

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

Last update for Saku: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Saku pays 266% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Saku vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $289, with Saku 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

Saku vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saku is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 266% higher in Saku, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $115 in Saku versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saku – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,036 in Saku versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saku but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saku 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, Saku 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 Saku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.