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: $792 in Sale versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,237 in Sale versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,682 in Sale versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sale costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sale 41% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 MAD 42.37

$4.63 ฿151

-1.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 MAD 305

$46.84 ฿1,523

-29.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 MAD 61.2

$8.84 ฿287

-25.23%

Cappuccino

$2.06 MAD 19.08

$3.00 ฿97.4

-31.33%

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

$0.63 MAD 5.85

$0.74 ฿24.11

-14.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MAD 3.70

$0.37 ฿11.88

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 MAD 50.1

$2.44 ฿79.3

122.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 MAD 38.30

$3.61 ฿117

14.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 MAD 8.91

$2.26 ฿73.5

-57.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 MAD 5.06

$1.84 ฿59.8

-70.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MAD 18.06

$2.24 ฿73.0

-12.95%

Eggs

$1.99 MAD 18.39

$2.32 ฿75.3

-14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.02 MAD 120

$19.67 ฿639

-33.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 MAD 55.5

$3.65 ฿119

64.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 MAD 108

$13.10 ฿426

-10.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 MAD 13.90

$3.39 ฿110

-55.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 MAD 12.44

$1.64 ฿53.4

-18.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.33

$2.41 ฿78.5

-62.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 MAD 7.82

$2.03 ฿66.0

-58.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.37

$1.56 ฿50.6

-48.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.31

$1.50 ฿48.66

-47.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MAD 3.94

$1.02 ฿33.30

-57.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 MAD 5.91

$0.49 ฿15.91

30.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MAD 40.30

$4.45 ฿145

-2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 MAD 66.0

$18.88 ฿614

-62.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 24.15

$1.78 ฿57.7

46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MAD 23.55

$2.75 ฿89.5

-7.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MAD 5.21

$1.40 ฿45.54

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.44 MAD 226

$11.48 ฿373

112.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 4.88

$3.12 ฿101

-83.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MAD 4.81

$1.00 ฿32.48

-48.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 MAD 41.37

$14.09 ฿458

-68.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 MAD 14.76

$1.35 ฿43.93

18.52%

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

$37.2K MAD 344.1K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

36.85%

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

$29.9K MAD 277.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-9.04%

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

$33.03 MAD 305

$125 ฿4,063

-73.57%

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

$10.91 MAD 101

$13.57 ฿441

-19.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.43 MAD 420

$18.52 ฿602

145.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.25 MAD 132

$61.5 ฿1,999

-76.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.67 MAD 219

$16.84 ฿547

40.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 MAD 59.9

$9.19 ฿299

-29.49%

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

$112 MAD 1,037

$698 ฿22.7K

-83.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,300 MAD 58.3K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-59.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.36 MAD 392

$57.8 ฿1,878

-26.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.69 MAD 460

$35.24 ฿1,146

41.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MAD 987

$113 ฿3,677

-5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 MAD 927

$86.4 ฿2,808

16.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 MAD 2,620

$616 ฿20.0K

-54.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 MAD 1,617

$446 ฿14.5K

-60.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 MAD 4,631

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-75.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 MAD 2,805

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-79.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,201 MAD 11.1K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-68.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$852 MAD 7,882

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-67.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$410 MAD 3,792

$524 ฿17.0K

-21.74%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Sale and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 28% 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: $33.00 in Sale vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $292 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 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 28% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $283 in Sale versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Sale versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $792 in Sale versus $1,232 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 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.