Cost of Living Comparison Between Side and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Side and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,074 in Side versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,658 in Side versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,242 in Side versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Side costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Side 20% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.82 ₺361

$4.56 ฿150

71.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.27 ₺1,073

$46.63 ฿1,535

-50.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.17 ₺284

$8.47 ฿279

-27.15%

Cappuccino

$2.75 ₺127

$3.03 ฿99.7

-9.24%

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

$1.76 ₺80.9

$0.69 ฿22.69

155.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₺21.65

$0.37 ฿12.04

27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 ₺142

$2.49 ฿81.9

23.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 ₺189

$3.66 ฿120

12.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 ₺41.21

$2.18 ฿71.8

-59.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₺42.68

$1.90 ฿62.6

-51.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₺42.84

$2.20 ฿72.4

-57.73%

Eggs

$1.77 ₺81.4

$2.22 ฿73.2

-20.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 ₺372

$19.99 ฿658

-59.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 ₺246

$3.66 ฿121

45.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.56 ₺763

$13.25 ฿436

24.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 ₺46.16

$3.23 ฿106

-69.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ₺95.3

$1.70 ฿55.9

21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 ₺33.70

$2.39 ฿78.8

-69.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₺53.5

$2.08 ฿68.4

-44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ₺25.51

$1.59 ฿52.4

-65.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₺19.44

$1.48 ฿48.83

-71.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ₺58.3

$1.03 ฿33.90

22.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₺15.88

$0.52 ฿17.01

-34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 ₺99.1

$4.25 ฿140

-49.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.15 ₺606

$18.79 ฿618

-30.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₺79.0

$1.76 ฿57.8

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₺94.8

$2.76 ฿90.8

-25.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ₺28.76

$1.36 ฿44.79

-54.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.78 ₺1,419

$11.36 ฿374

170.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ₺48.39

$3.14 ฿103

-66.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₺30.33

$1.04 ฿34.10

-36.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.80 ₺359

$13.77 ฿453

-43.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₺54.1

$1.34 ฿44.26

-12.69%

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

$40.9K ₺1.9M

$27.7K ฿911.1K

47.77%

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

$41.4K ₺1.9M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

22.40%

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

$48.53 ₺2,237

$124 ฿4,069

-60.73%

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

$7.95 ₺366

$13.52 ฿445

-41.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.34 ₺292

$18.69 ฿615

-66.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.32 ₺1,997

$61.8 ฿2,035

-29.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 ₺297

$9.14 ฿301

-29.54%

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

$607 ₺28.0K

$703 ฿23.1K

-13.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,932 ₺411.8K

$15.9K ฿522.5K

-43.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 ₺3,509

$59.5 ฿1,958

28.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.64 ₺2,058

$35.07 ฿1,154

27.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 ₺7,291

$115 ฿3,795

37.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₺5,189

$84.1 ฿2,767

33.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 ₺24.0K

$619 ฿20.4K

-15.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 ₺18.5K

$433 ฿14.2K

-7.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 ₺40.3K

$2,062 ฿67.9K

-57.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 ₺32.1K

$1,511 ฿49.7K

-53.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,388 ₺64.0K

$3,646 ฿120.0K

-61.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,040 ₺47.9K

$2,626 ฿86.4K

-60.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

275.23%

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

Last update for Side: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $522 in Side and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Side vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $293 per month, with Side 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

Side vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Side is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,611 in Side and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $522 in Side versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Side versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,074 in Side versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Side but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Side the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Side 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, Side 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 Side gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.