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: $779 in Sale versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,232 in Sale versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,684 in Sale versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Sale costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sale 42% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 MAD 42.09

$4.56 ฿149

-0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.89 MAD 304

$46.63 ฿1,519

-29.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 MAD 62.9

$8.47 ฿276

-19.72%

Cappuccino

$1.98 MAD 18.35

$3.03 ฿98.6

-34.65%

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

$0.69 MAD 6.36

$0.69 ฿22.45

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MAD 3.73

$0.37 ฿11.92

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 MAD 50.2

$2.49 ฿81.0

117.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MAD 38.88

$3.66 ฿119

14.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 MAD 8.79

$2.18 ฿71.0

-56.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 MAD 5.31

$1.90 ฿62.0

-70.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MAD 17.26

$2.20 ฿71.6

-15.00%

Eggs

$1.96 MAD 18.17

$2.22 ฿72.4

-11.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 MAD 121

$19.99 ฿651

-34.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 MAD 55.6

$3.66 ฿119

64.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 MAD 111

$13.25 ฿432

-9.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 MAD 14.06

$3.23 ฿105

-52.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MAD 12.23

$1.70 ฿55.3

-22.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 MAD 8.50

$2.39 ฿78.0

-61.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 MAD 8.21

$2.08 ฿67.7

-57.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.38

$1.59 ฿51.8

-49.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.45

$1.48 ฿48.31

-45.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.62

$1.03 ฿33.54

-62.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.44

$0.52 ฿16.83

13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MAD 40.30

$4.25 ฿138

2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 MAD 44.74

$18.79 ฿612

-74.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 MAD 25.20

$1.76 ฿57.2

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MAD 22.86

$2.76 ฿89.8

-10.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MAD 5.27

$1.36 ฿44.32

-58.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.11 MAD 232

$11.36 ฿370

121.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 4.86

$3.14 ฿102

-83.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MAD 4.40

$1.04 ฿33.74

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 MAD 39.93

$13.77 ฿448

-68.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.04

$1.34 ฿43.79

13.43%

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

$37.3K MAD 344.9K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

34.73%

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

$29.6K MAD 273.8K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-12.60%

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

$32.93 MAD 305

$124 ฿4,025

-73.36%

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

$11.00 MAD 102

$13.52 ฿440

-18.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.34 MAD 419

$18.69 ฿609

142.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.22 MAD 132

$61.8 ฿2,013

-77.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.46 MAD 217

$17.25 ฿562

36.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MAD 59.3

$9.14 ฿298

-29.87%

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

$113 MAD 1,044

$703 ฿22.9K

-83.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,442 MAD 59.6K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-59.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.49 MAD 402

$59.5 ฿1,937

-26.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MAD 470

$35.07 ฿1,142

44.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MAD 994

$115 ฿3,754

-6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 MAD 914

$84.1 ฿2,737

17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 MAD 2,611

$619 ฿20.1K

-54.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 MAD 1,619

$433 ฿14.1K

-59.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MAD 4,724

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-75.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 MAD 2,800

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-79.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,208 MAD 11.2K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-66.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$880 MAD 8,143

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-66.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$533 MAD 4,934

$507 ฿16.5K

5.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.81

5.33

-9.76%

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

Last update for Sale: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Sale and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sale pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Sale vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $293 per month, with Sale 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

Sale is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sale pays 5% 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: $282 in Sale versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $113 in Sale versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $779 in Sale versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sale but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sale the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sale is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, 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 Sale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.