Cost of Living Comparison Between Saldus and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saldus and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,418 in Saldus versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,209 in Saldus versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Saldus versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Saldus is roughly 12% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saldus is 6% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €14.81

$4.56 ฿149

276.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$46.63 ฿1,519

49.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 €7.91

$8.47 ฿276

8.38%

Cappuccino

$3.49 €3.01

$3.03 ฿98.6

15.18%

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

$1.84 €1.59

$0.69 ฿22.45

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.37 ฿11.92

256.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €4.91

$2.49 ฿81.0

128.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.89

$3.66 ฿119

55.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.18 ฿71.0

-37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.90 ฿62.0

-15.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.20 ฿71.6

37.27%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.71

$2.22 ฿72.4

41.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 €10.67

$19.99 ฿651

-38.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.78

$3.66 ฿119

115.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.71 €10.09

$13.25 ฿432

-11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$3.23 ฿105

-48.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.70 ฿55.3

12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.18

$2.39 ฿78.0

5.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 €3.08

$2.08 ฿67.7

71.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.59 ฿51.8

-33.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.48 ฿48.31

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.03 ฿33.54

71.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$0.52 ฿16.83

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 €5.06

$4.25 ฿138

38.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 €7.09

$18.79 ฿612

-56.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.76 ฿57.2

6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.76 ฿89.8

-21.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 €0.88

$1.36 ฿44.32

-24.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.57 €31.51

$11.36 ฿370

221.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 €2.42

$3.14 ฿102

-10.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.04 ฿33.74

-23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.98 €12.04

$13.77 ฿448

1.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.34 ฿43.79

33.58%

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

$30.8K €26.5K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

11.11%

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

$32.2K €27.8K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-4.78%

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

$329 €283

$124 ฿4,025

165.80%

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

$19.97 €17.21

$13.52 ฿440

47.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.39 €17.57

$18.69 ฿609

9.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €44.33

$61.8 ฿2,013

-16.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 €10.07

$9.14 ฿298

27.90%

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

$552 €475

$703 ฿22.9K

-21.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K €13.2K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-3.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €79.5

$59.5 ฿1,937

55.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.12 €39.73

$35.07 ฿1,142

31.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 €82.1

$115 ฿3,754

-17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$84.1 ฿2,737

60.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 €306

$619 ฿20.1K

-42.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 €215

$433 ฿14.1K

-42.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €637

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-64.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 €395

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-69.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

5.33

-13.13%

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

Last update for Saldus: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $355 in Saldus and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Saldus vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $293, with Saldus 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

Saldus vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,128 in Saldus and $1,892 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: $355 in Saldus versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $552 in Saldus versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Saldus pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,418 in Saldus, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saldus. 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 Saldus, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saldus 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 12% less than in Saldus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.