Cost of Living Comparison Between Sidney, NE and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sidney, NE and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,656 in Sidney, NE versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Sidney, NE versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,051 in Sidney, NE versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Sidney, NE is roughly 111% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sidney, NE is 98% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$4.56 ฿149

455.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.55 $40.55

$46.63 ฿1,519

-13.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 $10.79

$8.47 ฿276

27.39%

Cappuccino

$5.91 $5.91

$3.03 ฿98.6

95.05%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$0.69 ฿22.45

343.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.37 ฿11.92

432.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.49 ฿81.0

58.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.66 ฿119

62.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.18 ฿71.0

-58.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.90 ฿62.0

77.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$2.20 ฿71.6

195.00%

Eggs

$4.07 $4.07

$2.22 ฿72.4

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.37 $13.37

$19.99 ฿651

-33.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.90 $8.90

$3.66 ฿119

143.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 $13.41

$13.25 ฿432

1.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.23 ฿105

68.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.70 ฿55.3

-13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.39 ฿78.0

151.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$2.08 ฿67.7

199.04%

Potato (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.59 ฿51.8

160.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.48 ฿48.31

148.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.03 ฿33.54

-5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.52 ฿16.83

319.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.25 ฿138

89.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.90 $15.90

$18.79 ฿612

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.76 ฿57.2

7.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.76 ฿89.8

58.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.36 ฿44.32

45.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.14 ฿102

-19.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.04 ฿33.74

35.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.95 $23.95

$13.77 ฿448

73.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.34 ฿43.79

-42.54%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

28.76%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-24.80%

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

$221 $221

$124 ฿4,025

78.44%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$13.52 ฿440

352.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 $71.7

$18.69 ฿609

283.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.03 $43.03

$61.8 ฿2,013

-30.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 $7.13

$9.14 ฿298

-21.99%

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

$799 $799

$703 ฿22.9K

13.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K $30.8K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

94.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 $72.6

$59.5 ฿1,937

22.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.40 $49.40

$35.07 ฿1,142

40.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 $90.8

$115 ฿3,754

-21.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$84.1 ฿2,737

70.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,626 $1,626

$619 ฿20.1K

162.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 $1,347

$433 ฿14.1K

211.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,591 $2,591

$2,062 ฿67.2K

25.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,259 $2,259

$1,511 ฿49.2K

49.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,703 $2,703

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-25.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,664 $2,664

$2,626 ฿85.5K

1.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

5.33

20.45%

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

Last update for Sidney, NE: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,626 in Sidney, NE and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Sidney, NE vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $293, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sidney, NE vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,984 in Sidney, NE 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: $1,626 in Sidney, NE versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $799 in Sidney, NE versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $41.00 in Sidney, NE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,656 in Sidney, NE, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sidney, NE. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sidney, NE, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sidney, NE 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Sidney, NE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.