Cost of Living Comparison Between Sari and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sari and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $575 in Sari versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $827 in Sari versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,079 in Sari versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sari costs roughly 53% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sari 57% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 $3.89

$4.63 ฿151

-15.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.17 $11.17

$46.84 ฿1,532

-76.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 $5.02

$8.84 ฿289

-43.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.62 $0.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 $1.04

Cappuccino

$0.77 $0.77

$3.00 ฿98.0

-74.33%

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

$0.42 $0.42

$0.74 ฿24.25

-43.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.37 ฿11.95

40.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$0.64 $0.64

$2.26 ฿73.9

-71.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 $0.57

$1.84 ฿60.1

-69.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.24 ฿73.4

-14.73%

Eggs

$1.15 $1.15

$2.32 ฿75.7

-50.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$19.67 ฿643

-82.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.65 ฿119

-16.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 $7.53

$13.10 ฿428

-42.52%

Apples (1kg)

$0.42 $0.42

$3.39 ฿111

-87.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.64 ฿53.7

-41.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$2.41 ฿79.0

-65.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 $0.66

$2.03 ฿66.4

-67.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.56 ฿50.9

-64.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 $0.54

$1.50 ฿48.94

-64.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 $0.59

$1.02 ฿33.50

-42.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.15 $0.15

$0.49 ฿16.00

-69.39%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.68 $0.68

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 $0.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 $1.95

$4.45 ฿145

-56.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 $0.12

$1.40 ฿45.81

-91.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.15 $10.15

$11.48 ฿376

-11.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 $0.48

$3.12 ฿102

-84.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.00 ฿32.67

-71.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 $2.42

$14.09 ฿461

-82.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.35 ฿44.19

-45.93%

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

$81.2K $81.2K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

198.85%

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

$55.4K $55.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

68.16%

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

$15.93 $15.93

$125 ฿4,087

-87.25%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$13.57 ฿444

-83.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.68 $5.68

$18.52 ฿606

-69.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.15 $32.15

$61.5 ฿2,010

-47.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 $10.99

$16.84 ฿551

-34.74%

Cinema Ticket

$1.03 $1.03

$9.19 ฿300

-88.79%

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

$49.53 $49.53

$698 ฿22.8K

-92.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$787 $787

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-94.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.73 $30.73

$57.8 ฿1,889

-46.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 $34.51

$35.24 ฿1,152

-2.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$113 ฿3,699

6.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 $68.7

$86.4 ฿2,825

-20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 $541

$616 ฿20.1K

-12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 $232

$446 ฿14.6K

-48.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 $633

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-69.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 $301

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-79.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,036 $1,036

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-72.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$457 $457

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-82.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$381 $381

$524 ฿17.1K

-27.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.07

5.33

370.36%

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

Last update for Sari: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $541 in Sari and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 38% 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: $11.00 in Sari vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $94.0 vs $292 per month, with Sari cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sari vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sari is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 38% 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: $541 in Sari versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $49.53 in Sari 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 211% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $575 in Sari versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sari but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sari 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, Sari 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 Sari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.