Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharm El Sheikh and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharm El Sheikh and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $684 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,118 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,552 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Sharm El Sheikh costs roughly 46% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sharm El Sheikh 49% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.74 E£401

$4.70 ฿153

64.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.46 E£1,112

$45.37 ฿1,482

-52.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 E£284

$8.43 ฿275

-34.99%

Cappuccino

$1.76 E£91.1

$2.93 ฿95.6

-39.93%

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

$0.32 E£16.48

$0.69 ฿22.40

-53.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 E£22.84

$0.37 ฿11.99

18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 E£155

$2.41 ฿78.6

24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 E£259

$3.72 ฿122

34.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 E£47.11

$2.23 ฿72.9

-59.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 E£32.13

$1.83 ฿59.8

-66.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 E£33.87

$2.17 ฿70.8

-70.05%

Eggs

$1.34 E£69.4

$2.21 ฿72.3

-39.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 E£175

$19.74 ฿645

-82.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 E£204

$3.63 ฿119

8.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.77 E£454

$13.53 ฿442

-35.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 E£82.9

$3.28 ฿107

-51.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.48 E£24.68

$1.61 ฿52.6

-70.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.50 E£25.96

$2.41 ฿78.6

-79.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.31 E£16.12

$2.08 ฿68.1

-85.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.75

$1.53 ฿49.93

-73.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.80

$1.48 ฿48.36

-72.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 E£12.45

$0.99 ฿32.29

-75.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 E£10.51

$0.51 ฿16.67

-60.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.65 E£85.6

$4.41 ฿144

-62.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 E£70.4

$1.78 ฿58.1

-23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 E£94.2

$2.71 ฿88.6

-32.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 E£5.92

$1.37 ฿44.79

-91.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£20.10

$3.02 ฿98.6

-87.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 E£14.81

$0.99 ฿32.48

-70.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 E£102

$14.10 ฿461

-86.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 E£18.46

$1.36 ฿44.51

-73.53%

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

$35.5K E£1.8M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

25.88%

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

$33.6K E£1.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

2.21%

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

$12.06 E£625

$122 ฿3,975

-90.09%

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

$11.13 E£576

$13.57 ฿443

-17.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 E£1,454

$18.31 ฿598

53.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.01 E£777

$60.2 ฿1,967

-75.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.94 E£307

$17.14 ฿560

-65.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.54 E£183

$8.69 ฿284

-59.26%

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

$114 E£5,926

$693 ฿22.6K

-83.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,855 E£96.1K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-88.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.01 E£1,399

$59.5 ฿1,944

-54.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.05 E£2,489

$34.77 ฿1,136

38.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 E£5,684

$115 ฿3,743

-4.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.3 E£2,658

$83.3 ฿2,720

-38.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 E£19.2K

$613 ฿20.0K

-39.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 E£14.5K

$437 ฿14.3K

-35.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 E£32.4K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-70.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 E£29.0K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-62.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$997 E£51.6K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-73.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$690 E£35.8K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-73.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$151 E£7,812

$508 ฿16.6K

-70.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

5.33

212.76%

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

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in Sharm El Sheikh and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 237% 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: $21.00 in Sharm El Sheikh vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $110 vs $293 per month, with Sharm El Sheikh 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

Sharm El Sheikh vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharm El Sheikh is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 237% 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: $370 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $114 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $684 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharm El Sheikh but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sharm El Sheikh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sharm El Sheikh 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, Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.