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: $666 in Sale versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,088 in Sale versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,510 in Sale versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Sale costs roughly 47% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sale 51% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.69 MAD 34.11

$4.43 ฿145

-16.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.17 MAD 177

$35.07 ฿1,151

-45.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 MAD 69.9

$8.96 ฿294

-15.63%

Cappuccino

$1.87 MAD 17.28

$3.00 ฿98.4

-37.67%

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

$0.69 MAD 6.34

$0.77 ฿25.33

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.37

$0.47 ฿15.44

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 MAD 25.22

$2.40 ฿78.6

13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MAD 29.06

$3.75 ฿123

-16.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MAD 8.50

$1.82 ฿59.8

-49.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MAD 6.07

$1.42 ฿46.65

-53.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 MAD 18.86

$1.55 ฿50.8

31.61%

Eggs

$2.01 MAD 18.53

$2.13 ฿69.9

-5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.66 MAD 108

$19.76 ฿648

-40.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 MAD 63.0

$3.48 ฿114

95.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 MAD 119

$11.09 ฿364

16.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 MAD 13.72

$2.91 ฿95.5

-48.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 MAD 11.83

$1.66 ฿54.6

-22.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 MAD 8.50

$2.27 ฿74.5

-59.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 MAD 8.62

$2.10 ฿68.8

-55.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 6.52

$1.47 ฿48.24

-51.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 MAD 7.58

$1.41 ฿46.29

-41.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 MAD 4.24

$1.09 ฿35.78

-57.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MAD 5.98

$0.54 ฿17.58

20.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MAD 37.27

$4.48 ฿147

-9.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.75 MAD 43.87

$18.72 ฿614

-74.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 MAD 21.03

$1.84 ฿60.4

23.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MAD 20.94

$2.95 ฿96.7

-23.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MAD 5.67

$2.26 ฿74.1

-73.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.08 MAD 222

$23.07 ฿757

4.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 MAD 6.80

$3.04 ฿99.9

-75.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MAD 4.84

$1.09 ฿35.82

-52.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 MAD 40.18

$3.82 ฿125

13.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MAD 14.15

$1.49 ฿48.79

2.68%

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

$35.2K MAD 325.2K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

28.33%

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

$32.2K MAD 297.7K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

17.17%

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

$39.17 MAD 362

$102 ฿3,340

-61.53%

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

$10.90 MAD 101

$11.28 ฿370

-3.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.56 MAD 402

$17.75 ฿582

145.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.78 MAD 155

$54.2 ฿1,777

-69.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.95 MAD 397

$10.96 ฿360

291.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 MAD 50.8

$7.85 ฿258

-30.06%

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

$108 MAD 999

$577 ฿18.9K

-81.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,156 MAD 56.9K

$11.6K ฿381.6K

-47.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.82 MAD 312

$65.4 ฿2,144

-48.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.96 MAD 452

$28.89 ฿948

69.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 MAD 696

$99.1 ฿3,250

-23.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 MAD 635

$90.3 ฿2,961

-23.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 MAD 1,954

$756 ฿24.8K

-72.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 MAD 981

$487 ฿16.0K

-78.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 MAD 3,457

$2,085 ฿68.4K

-82.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 MAD 2,454

$1,207 ฿39.6K

-77.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,208 MAD 11.2K

$3,591 ฿117.8K

-66.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$866 MAD 7,998

$2,610 ฿85.6K

-66.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 MAD 5,002

$502 ฿16.5K

7.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Sale: August 16, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $212 in Sale and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sale pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Sale vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $272 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Sale, 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: $212 in Sale versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $108 in Sale versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $666 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 89% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.