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: $1,391 in Sala versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,996 in Sala versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,602 in Sala versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sala is roughly 13% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sala is 4% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 €7.93

$4.63 ฿151

100.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.59 €24.42

$46.84 ฿1,523

-38.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.44 €8.07

$8.84 ฿287

6.79%

Cappuccino

$2.63 €2.25

$3.00 ฿97.4

-12.33%

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

$1.84 €1.57

$0.74 ฿24.11

148.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.43

$0.37 ฿11.88

354.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.44 ฿79.3

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.80

$3.61 ฿117

-41.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.90

$2.26 ฿73.5

-53.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.22

$1.84 ฿59.8

-22.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 €1.70

$2.24 ฿73.0

-10.71%

Eggs

$3.40 €2.91

$2.32 ฿75.3

46.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 €13.84

$19.67 ฿639

-17.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 €5.81

$3.65 ฿119

86.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.31 €7.10

$13.10 ฿426

-36.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 €1.42

$3.39 ฿110

-51.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.64 ฿53.4

-6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 €1.96

$2.41 ฿78.5

-4.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 €4.03

$2.03 ฿66.0

132.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.56 ฿50.6

-9.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.54

$1.50 ฿48.66

20.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.02 ฿33.30

62.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.66

$0.49 ฿15.91

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.93 €5.06

$4.45 ฿145

33.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.77 €4.07

$18.88 ฿614

-74.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.78 ฿57.7

-41.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.03

$2.75 ฿89.5

-13.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 €0.97

$1.40 ฿45.54

-18.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.51 €25.20

$11.48 ฿373

157.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 €1.22

$3.12 ฿101

-54.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 €0.71

$1.00 ฿32.48

-17.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.84 €11.82

$14.09 ฿458

-1.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.55

$1.35 ฿43.93

34.81%

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

$24.5K €20.9K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-9.85%

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

$24.9K €21.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-24.31%

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

$240 €205

$125 ฿4,063

92.03%

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

$27.71 €23.66

$13.57 ฿441

104.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 €17.34

$18.52 ฿602

9.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.61 €36.39

$61.5 ฿1,999

-30.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 €14.54

$16.84 ฿547

1.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 €7.63

$9.19 ฿299

-2.83%

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

$467 €399

$698 ฿22.7K

-33.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,353 €6,279

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-52.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 €51.2

$57.8 ฿1,878

3.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.23 €20.70

$35.24 ฿1,146

-31.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 €64.1

$113 ฿3,677

-33.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €86.5

$86.4 ฿2,808

17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 €508

$616 ฿20.0K

-3.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 €421

$446 ฿14.5K

10.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 €837

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-52.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 €646

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-49.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,180 €2,716

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-15.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,654 €2,267

$2,649 ฿86.1K

0.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

5.33

-21.95%

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

Last update for Sala: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $594 in Sala and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29.00 in Sala vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $292 per month, with Sala 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 Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,086 in Sala and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $594 in Sala versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $467 in Sala versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sala pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,391 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 13% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.