Cost of Living Comparison Between Sale and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sale and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,604 in Sale versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,750 in Sale versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,897 in Sale versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Sale is roughly 111% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sale is 90% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 A$28.47

$4.41 ฿147

359.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 A$125

$32.26 ฿1,073

176.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 A$15.60

$8.93 ฿297

24.30%

Cappuccino

$4.14 A$5.82

$2.90 ฿96.3

42.76%

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

$2.78 A$3.90

$0.88 ฿29.27

215.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 A$3.67

$0.48 ฿16.00

445.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 A$9.69

$2.35 ฿78.2

193.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.58 A$12.06

$3.72 ฿124

130.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.48

$1.87 ฿62.0

-5.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 A$4.14

$1.47 ฿48.75

100.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 A$3.69

$1.55 ฿51.6

69.03%

Eggs

$4.90 A$6.89

$2.10 ฿69.9

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 A$11.82

$19.59 ฿651

-57.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.04

$3.42 ฿114

171.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.47 A$21.73

$11.38 ฿378

35.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 A$5.46

$2.98 ฿99.2

30.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.54 A$4.97

$1.68 ฿56.0

110.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.21

$2.21 ฿73.5

35.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 A$6.37

$2.16 ฿71.9

109.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.83

$1.52 ฿50.7

79.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.18

$1.34 ฿44.49

68.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 A$4.00

$1.13 ฿37.53

151.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 A$2.10

$0.55 ฿18.17

170.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.66 A$55.7

$4.26 ฿142

830.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.60 A$19.10

$19.09 ฿635

-28.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.79 A$6.72

$1.78 ฿59.2

169.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 A$7.84

$2.78 ฿92.5

100.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 A$3.94

$2.23 ฿74.1

26.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 A$105

$22.74 ฿756

228.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.04

$3.03 ฿101

18.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$1.96

$1.02 ฿34.02

37.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.71 A$58.6

$3.89 ฿129

972.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.95

$1.49 ฿49.57

-6.71%

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

$28.0K A$39.3K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

5.33%

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

$28.9K A$40.6K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

6.87%

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

$191 A$269

$102 ฿3,407

86.86%

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

$28.88 A$40.57

$11.33 ฿377

154.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 A$76.1

$17.40 ฿578

211.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 A$78.0

$52.1 ฿1,732

6.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.35 A$22.97

$11.07 ฿368

47.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.17 A$24.13

$7.69 ฿256

123.28%

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

$2,315 A$3,253

$561 ฿18.6K

312.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K A$29.6K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

83.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 A$119

$63.0 ฿2,096

34.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 A$78.0

$29.52 ฿982

88.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$141

$98.0 ฿3,259

2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 A$162

$88.5 ฿2,943

30.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 A$1,862

$738 ฿24.5K

79.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 A$1,804

$482 ฿16.0K

166.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 A$3,114

$2,107 ฿70.0K

5.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 A$2,364

$1,226 ฿40.8K

37.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,604 A$7,874

$3,617 ฿120.3K

54.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,379 A$6,152

$2,603 ฿86.5K

68.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

5.57

5.39%

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

Last update for Sale: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Sale and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89.0 in Sale vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $274 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

Sale vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,905 in Sale 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: $1,325 in Sale versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,315 in Sale versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Sale. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,604 in Sale, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sale. 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 Sale, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sale 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 111% less than in Sale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.