Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,175 in Sliema versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,360 in Sliema versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,546 in Sliema versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Sliema is roughly 74% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sliema is 63% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.02 €18.37

$4.55 ฿153

361.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 €83.0

$46.18 ฿1,550

105.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 €10.03

$8.84 ฿297

29.86%

Cappuccino

$2.90 €2.54

$3.06 ฿103

-5.23%

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

$2.96 €2.58

$0.73 ฿24.36

305.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.40 ฿13.37

467.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 €4.06

$2.43 ฿81.6

91.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 €4.07

$3.78 ฿127

23.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.26 ฿75.8

-38.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.81 ฿60.8

-31.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 €3.64

$2.25 ฿75.7

85.33%

Eggs

$4.49 €3.92

$2.25 ฿75.4

99.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 €9.13

$19.51 ฿655

-46.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 €8.24

$3.65 ฿122

158.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 €16.73

$13.05 ฿438

46.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 €3.76

$3.23 ฿109

33.13%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 €2.76

$1.62 ฿54.3

95.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.82

$2.38 ฿80.0

35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 €3.22

$2.03 ฿68.0

81.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.19

$1.53 ฿51.5

64.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.50 ฿50.4

-11.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 €2.03

$0.98 ฿32.85

136.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.09

$0.52 ฿17.36

140.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.78

$4.44 ฿149

48.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 €7.31

$18.32 ฿615

-54.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.86 ฿62.6

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.02

$2.68 ฿90.0

-13.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 €2.50

$1.41 ฿47.37

102.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.16

$3.11 ฿104

89.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.22 €3.69

$1.04 ฿35.00

305.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.09 €42.89

$14.11 ฿474

247.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.31 ฿44.02

20.61%

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

$39.1K €34.2K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

40.59%

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

$38.2K €33.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

14.91%

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

$92.5 €80.8

$122 ฿4,110

-24.49%

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

$27.88 €24.36

$13.59 ฿456

105.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.26 €40.42

$18.70 ฿628

147.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 €59.9

$60.5 ฿2,031

13.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 €20.32

$16.98 ฿570

36.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €9.06

$9.07 ฿305

14.33%

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

$774 €676

$706 ฿23.7K

9.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,710

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-29.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 €80.5

$58.6 ฿1,965

57.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 €34.31

$35.36 ฿1,187

11.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$115 ฿3,876

-11.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €88.8

$83.7 ฿2,811

21.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 €1,270

$626 ฿21.0K

132.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €959

$445 ฿14.9K

146.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,418 €2,113

$2,040 ฿68.5K

18.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,741

$1,492 ฿50.1K

33.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,510 €4,814

$3,483 ฿116.9K

58.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,551 €3,103

$2,577 ฿86.5K

37.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,886 €1,648

$500 ฿16.8K

277.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

5.33

-4.69%

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

Last update for Sliema: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,454 in Sliema and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 277% 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: $95.0 in Sliema vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $289 per month, with Phuket 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

Sliema vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 277% higher in Sliema, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,454 in Sliema versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $774 in Sliema versus $706 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 $46.00 versus $95.0 in Sliema. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,175 in Sliema, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sliema. 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 Sliema, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sliema 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 74% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.