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: $1,060 in Saku versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,654 in Saku versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,248 in Saku versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Saku costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saku 21% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.29 €14.01

$4.70 ฿153

246.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.7

$45.37 ฿1,482

55.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 €8.18

$8.43 ฿275

12.81%

Cappuccino

$3.76 €3.24

$2.93 ฿95.6

28.33%

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

$2.58 €2.22

$0.69 ฿22.40

273.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.22

$0.37 ฿11.99

597.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 €4.42

$2.41 ฿78.6

113.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 €5.03

$3.72 ฿122

57.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.23 ฿72.9

-42.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.83 ฿59.8

-22.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$2.17 ฿70.8

4.61%

Eggs

$2.87 €2.47

$2.21 ฿72.3

29.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 €10.81

$19.74 ฿645

-36.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 €7.33

$3.63 ฿119

134.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.48 €9.87

$13.53 ฿442

-15.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.28 ฿107

-41.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.61 ฿52.6

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.41 ฿78.6

1.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.08 ฿68.1

20.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 €0.89

$1.53 ฿49.93

-32.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 €0.84

$1.48 ฿48.36

-33.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.99 ฿32.29

95.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.51 ฿16.67

98.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 €5.52

$4.41 ฿144

45.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 €9.21

$19.38 ฿633

-44.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.78 ฿58.1

7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.71 ฿88.6

-22.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €2.90

$3.02 ฿98.6

11.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 €0.65

$0.99 ฿32.48

-24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.19 €14.79

$14.10 ฿461

21.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.36 ฿44.51

36.03%

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

$29.4K €25.3K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

4.36%

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

$30.5K €26.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-7.15%

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

$269 €231

$122 ฿3,975

120.65%

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

$20.12 €17.31

$13.57 ฿443

48.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.35 €31.27

$18.31 ฿598

98.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 €10.05

$8.69 ฿284

34.52%

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

$116 €99.5

$693 ฿22.6K

-83.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,882 €6,781

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-49.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €97.7

$59.5 ฿1,944

90.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.00 €33.55

$34.77 ฿1,136

12.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €84.7

$115 ฿3,743

-14.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.9

$83.3 ฿2,720

31.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,269 €3,672

$3,749 ฿122.5K

13.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,761 €2,375

$2,616 ฿85.4K

5.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,884 €1,621

$508 ฿16.6K

270.83%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Saku pays 271% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Saku vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $263 vs $293, 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 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Saku pays 271% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $116 in Saku versus $693 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 $71.0 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,060 in Saku versus $1,265 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 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.