Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,496 in Sala versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,234 in Sala versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,973 in Sala versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sala is roughly 21% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sala is 12% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.80 SEK 119

$4.63 ฿151

176.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 SEK 591

$46.84 ฿1,532

35.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 SEK 94.4

$8.84 ฿289

14.82%

Cappuccino

$3.18 SEK 29.55

$3.00 ฿98.0

6.00%

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

$1.83 SEK 17.05

$0.74 ฿24.25

147.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 22.99

$0.37 ฿11.95

567.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.29 SEK 67.8

$2.44 ฿79.8

198.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 SEK 70.4

$3.61 ฿118

109.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.06

$2.26 ฿73.9

-19.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 SEK 24.65

$1.84 ฿60.1

44.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 SEK 34.23

$2.24 ฿73.4

64.29%

Eggs

$4.07 SEK 37.86

$2.32 ฿75.7

75.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 SEK 109

$19.67 ฿643

-40.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 SEK 111

$3.65 ฿119

226.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 SEK 148

$13.10 ฿428

21.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 28.10

$3.39 ฿111

-10.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.11

$1.64 ฿53.7

64.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 25.33

$2.41 ฿79.0

12.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 SEK 47.78

$2.03 ฿66.4

153.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.13

$1.56 ฿50.9

-2.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 SEK 11.13

$1.50 ฿48.94

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 SEK 25.32

$1.02 ฿33.50

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 SEK 9.91

$0.49 ฿16.00

118.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.55 SEK 70.3

$4.45 ฿145

69.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 SEK 60.2

$18.88 ฿617

-65.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 SEK 23.03

$1.78 ฿58.1

39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 17.52

$2.75 ฿90.1

-31.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 SEK 29.90

$1.40 ฿45.81

130.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.91 SEK 204

$11.48 ฿376

90.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 SEK 58.2

$3.12 ฿102

100.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.44

$1.00 ฿32.67

66.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 SEK 196

$14.09 ฿461

49.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.40

$1.35 ฿44.19

46.67%

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

$42.7K SEK 396.7K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

56.92%

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

$34.4K SEK 319.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

4.40%

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

$88.1 SEK 819

$125 ฿4,087

-29.53%

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

$21.33 SEK 198

$13.57 ฿444

57.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.05 SEK 345

$18.52 ฿606

100.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.76 SEK 453

$61.5 ฿2,010

-20.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.11 SEK 196

$16.84 ฿551

25.36%

Cinema Ticket

$19.10 SEK 178

$9.19 ฿300

107.83%

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

$147 SEK 1,367

$698 ฿22.8K

-78.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,286 SEK 12.0K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-91.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.81 SEK 445

$57.8 ฿1,889

-17.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.57 SEK 340

$35.24 ฿1,152

3.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 SEK 517

$113 ฿3,699

-50.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 SEK 547

$86.4 ฿2,825

-31.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 SEK 7,022

$616 ฿20.1K

22.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 SEK 4,965

$446 ฿14.6K

19.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 SEK 9,154

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-51.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 SEK 6,697

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-51.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,275 SEK 39.8K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

13.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,074 SEK 28.6K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

16.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,601 SEK 24.2K

$524 ฿17.1K

396.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

5.33

-15.01%

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

Last update for Sala: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $755 in Sala and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 397% 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: $63.0 in Sala vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 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

Sala vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Sala pays 397% 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: $755 in Sala versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in Sala 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 18% higher in Sala. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,496 in Sala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sala. 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 Sala, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sala 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 21% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.