Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sines and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,797 in Sines, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sines
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,797
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sines 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 Sines and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,797 in Sines versus $1,207 in Phuket.

  • Sines $1,797
  • Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,701 in Sines versus $2,037 in Phuket.

  • Sines $2,701
  • Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,604 in Sines versus $2,867 in Phuket.

  • Sines $3,604
  • Phuket $2,867

Living in Sines is roughly 49% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sines is 33% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sines
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.36 €19.00
$4.58 ฿153
366.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.4 €68.0
$32.48 ฿1,086
135.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.41 €8.37
$8.55 ฿286
10.06%
Cappuccino
$3.55 €3.16
$2.72 ฿91.0
30.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 €1.74
$0.94 ฿31.25
108.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 €1.35
$0.49 ฿16.39
210.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.57 €3.17
$2.59 ฿86.6
37.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 €3.49
$3.83 ฿128
2.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sines
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 €1.20
$1.74 ฿58.1
-22.99%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.43 ฿47.82
-4.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.53 ฿51.0
6.54%
Eggs
$4.01 €3.57
$2.17 ฿72.7
84.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.29 €15.38
$19.15 ฿640
-9.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.56 €6.72
$3.30 ฿110
129.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.98 €23.99
$11.14 ฿372
142.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.18 €2.83
$2.95 ฿98.5
7.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.68 ฿56.1
-24.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.30 ฿76.8
-24.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.13 ฿71.3
3.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.86
$1.53 ฿51.1
37.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 €1.79
$1.36 ฿45.55
47.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.12 ฿37.44
-2.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 €0.80
$0.55 ฿18.24
63.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.89 €6.13
$4.26 ฿142
61.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.08 €5.41
$18.19 ฿608
-66.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 €0.88
$1.74 ฿58.2
-43.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 €1.40
$2.79 ฿93.3
-43.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Sines
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.22 ฿74.1
2.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.75 €36.25
$22.06 ฿737
84.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.05 €3.61
$2.91 ฿97.3
39.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 €1.01
$1.01 ฿33.79
12.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.53 €14.70
$3.83 ฿128
331.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.49 ฿49.85
44.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.4K
$26.7K ฿891.6K
23.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.3K €33.2K
$26.7K ฿892.7K
39.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sines
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$152 €135
$99.4 ฿3,321
53.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.92 €18.61
$11.28 ฿377
85.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.8 €49.67
$17.36 ฿580
221.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sines
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.32 €35.87
$52.3 ฿1,747
-22.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.06 €15.18
$10.85 ฿362
57.24%
Cinema Ticket
$9.24 €8.22
$7.57 ฿253
22.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sines
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$673 €598
$558 ฿18.7K
20.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.1K €13.4K
$11.5K ฿383.9K
31.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sines
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.46 €24.43
$62.9 ฿2,102
-56.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.1 €49.04
$28.58 ฿955
92.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$50.4 €44.80
$96.1 ฿3,213
-47.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.1 €59.6
$88.1 ฿2,943
-23.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sines
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$962 €856
$729 ฿24.4K
31.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 €686
$460 ฿15.4K
67.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,542 €1,371
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-26.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,189 €1,058
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-2.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,366 €2,994
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-2.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,327 €2,070
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-6.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sines
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,549 €2,267
$493 ฿16.5K
417.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.65
5.57
-16.52%

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

Last update for Sines: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sines
$771
Phuket
$460 40.3% $311
Groceries & Markets
Sines
$307
Phuket
$268 13% $40
Eating Out
Sines
$281
Phuket
$121 56.9% $160
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sines
$229
Phuket
$128 44.1% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Sines
$90
Phuket
$124 37.8% $34
Getting Around
Sines
$60
Phuket
$39 34.7% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Sines
$59
Phuket
$67 14.7% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $962 in Sines and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sines pays 417% 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: $76.0 in Sines vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Sines
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
02:18 2:18 AM
08:18 8:18 AM
6 h ahead of Sines
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,200
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sines Phuket 10,950 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sines
  • 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
Sines vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Sines?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Sines or Phuket?
Average pay runs 417% higher in Sines, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Sines and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $962 in Sines versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $673 in Sines versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Sines and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Sines. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sines or in Phuket?
At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,797 in Sines, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sines. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Sines or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sines, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Sines or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Sines 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Sines. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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