Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saraburi and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Saraburi: $782 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Saraburi
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Saraburi Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Saraburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$782

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saraburi and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saraburi and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $782 in Saraburi versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Saraburi $782
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,419 in Saraburi versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Saraburi $1,419
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,056 in Saraburi versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Saraburi $2,056
Phuket $2,845

Living in Saraburi costs roughly 35% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saraburi 42% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.17 ฿206

$4.40 ฿147

40.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ฿900

$32.26 ฿1,078

-16.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.43 ฿215

$8.76 ฿293

-26.60%

Cappuccino

$2.28 ฿76.2

$2.83 ฿94.5

-19.43%

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

$0.66 ฿22.15

$0.90 ฿30.14

-26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ฿7.99

$0.47 ฿15.56

-48.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 ฿66.6

$2.55 ฿85.2

-21.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.83 ฿128

-17.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ฿50.3

$1.73 ฿57.7

-12.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ฿37.35

$1.47 ฿49.11

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.47

$1.51 ฿50.6

-11.92%

Eggs

$1.96 ฿65.5

$2.17 ฿72.7

-9.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.86 ฿563

$19.70 ฿658

-14.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.57 ฿86.0

$3.34 ฿112

-23.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.89 ฿331

$11.16 ฿373

-11.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 ฿172

$2.85 ฿95.1

80.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.7

$1.70 ฿56.9

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ฿69.4

$2.19 ฿73.3

-5.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 ฿63.5

$2.05 ฿68.4

-7.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$1.45 ฿48.57

3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.81

$1.38 ฿46.16

-22.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.51

$1.07 ฿35.69

4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.51 ฿16.91

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$4.26 ฿142

3.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.05 ฿703

$18.58 ฿621

13.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$1.78 ฿59.7

-6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿93.5

$2.85 ฿95.2

-1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿30.05

$2.26 ฿75.6

-60.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ฿34.98

$3.01 ฿101

-65.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 ฿38.75

$1.06 ฿35.34

9.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 ฿202

$3.86 ฿129

56.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ฿46.57

$1.45 ฿48.45

-4.14%

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

$22.9K ฿765.9K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-12.95%

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

$28.8K ฿962.3K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

6.87%

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

$81.9 ฿2,737

$96.4 ฿3,221

-15.01%

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

$11.58 ฿387

$11.04 ฿369

4.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.63 ฿556

$17.14 ฿573

-2.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.66 ฿1,426

$52.2 ฿1,744

-18.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 ฿476

$11.16 ฿373

27.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ฿225

$7.81 ฿261

-13.83%

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

$581 ฿19.4K

$556 ฿18.6K

4.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,594 ฿220.4K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-43.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 ฿1,712

$64.2 ฿2,146

-20.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.84 ฿997

$28.69 ฿959

4.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ฿2,572

$95.4 ฿3,187

-19.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.5 ฿2,589

$88.0 ฿2,940

-11.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.3K

$737 ฿24.6K

-41.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 ฿4,154

$462 ฿15.5K

-73.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 ฿39.1K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-44.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 ฿20.1K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-49.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,682 ฿56.2K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-51.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,662 ฿55.6K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-34.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$453 ฿15.1K

$501 ฿16.7K

-9.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Saraburi: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Saraburi

$259 33.2%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 3.6% $9.4

Accommodation & Living

Saraburi

$124 15.9%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 272% $338

Eating Out

Saraburi

$116 14.8%

Phuket

$121 10% 4.6% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saraburi

$110 14.1%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 13.1% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Saraburi

$106 13.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 17.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Saraburi

$56 7.2%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 20.8% $12

Getting Around

Saraburi

$10 * 1.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 278% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Saraburi and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 10% 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: $27.00 in Saraburi vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $269 per month, with Saraburi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Saraburi

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:34 10:34 PM

Same time as Saraburi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,900

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saraburi Phuket 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saraburi
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Saraburi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saraburi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Phuket. 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: $428 in Saraburi versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $581 in Saraburi versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saraburi – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $782 in Saraburi versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saraburi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saraburi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Saraburi 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, Saraburi 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 Saraburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.