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: $1,478 in Sala versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,218 in Sala versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,957 in Sala versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Sala is roughly 17% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sala is 11% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.53 SEK 119

$4.48 ฿150

179.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 SEK 605

$45.59 ฿1,521

39.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 SEK 96.9

$8.76 ฿292

16.44%

Cappuccino

$3.19 SEK 30.28

$2.97 ฿99.0

7.41%

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

$1.86 SEK 17.70

$0.69 ฿22.90

169.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 SEK 22.67

$0.39 ฿13.04

512.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 SEK 70.5

$2.53 ฿84.4

193.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 SEK 68.8

$3.75 ฿125

93.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 SEK 16.87

$2.15 ฿71.6

-17.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 SEK 25.53

$1.82 ฿60.6

47.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 SEK 34.44

$2.18 ฿72.9

66.51%

Eggs

$3.86 SEK 36.68

$2.25 ฿75.0

71.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 SEK 115

$20.00 ฿667

-39.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 SEK 113

$3.63 ฿121

227.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.97 SEK 152

$13.56 ฿452

17.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 29.85

$3.24 ฿108

-3.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.45

$1.64 ฿54.6

56.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 27.01

$2.33 ฿77.8

21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 SEK 48.74

$2.07 ฿69.1

147.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 SEK 14.78

$1.55 ฿51.6

0.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 SEK 11.17

$1.46 ฿48.54

-19.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 SEK 25.77

$0.98 ฿32.86

176.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 SEK 9.71

$0.48 ฿16.09

112.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.20 SEK 68.4

$4.35 ฿145

65.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 SEK 59.3

$18.57 ฿620

-66.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.73

$1.86 ฿61.9

34.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 SEK 18.28

$2.65 ฿88.6

-27.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 SEK 30.83

$1.42 ฿47.28

128.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.30 SEK 212

$11.57 ฿386

92.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 SEK 58.5

$3.17 ฿106

94.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 15.05

$1.03 ฿34.41

53.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.29 SEK 202

$13.89 ฿463

53.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 SEK 18.69

$1.34 ฿44.84

47.01%

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

$41.4K SEK 393.5K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

49.05%

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

$34.5K SEK 328.1K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

3.46%

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

$89.6 SEK 852

$123 ฿4,105

-27.15%

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

$21.17 SEK 201

$13.77 ฿459

53.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.99 SEK 351

$18.33 ฿611

101.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.67 SEK 462

$60.7 ฿2,025

-19.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.31 SEK 202

$17.16 ฿573

24.18%

Cinema Ticket

$18.75 SEK 178

$8.87 ฿296

111.39%

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

$148 SEK 1,404

$688 ฿22.9K

-78.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,284 SEK 12.2K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-91.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.96 SEK 437

$59.3 ฿1,978

-22.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 SEK 351

$34.69 ฿1,157

6.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 SEK 517

$115 ฿3,843

-52.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 SEK 554

$83.8 ฿2,794

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 SEK 7,261

$621 ฿20.7K

23.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 SEK 5,044

$446 ฿14.9K

19.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 SEK 9,354

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 SEK 7,002

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-50.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,100 SEK 38.9K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

18.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,033 SEK 28.8K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

19.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,507 SEK 23.8K

$494 ฿16.5K

407.92%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Sala and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 408% 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: $64.0 in Sala vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $291 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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 408% higher in Sala, 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: $764 in Sala versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $148 in Sala versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Sala. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,478 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 17% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.