Cost of Living Comparison Between Sosua and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sosua and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,198 in Sosua versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,075 in Sosua versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,953 in Sosua versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Sosua costs roughly 5% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sosua 10% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.35 DOP 485

$4.48 ฿150

86.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 DOP 2,959

$45.59 ฿1,521

11.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 DOP 413

$8.76 ฿292

-18.95%

Cappuccino

$2.72 DOP 158

$2.97 ฿99.0

-8.42%

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

$1.02 DOP 59.3

$0.69 ฿22.90

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 DOP 44.83

$0.39 ฿13.04

97.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 DOP 144

$2.53 ฿84.4

-1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 DOP 289

$3.75 ฿125

32.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 DOP 80.4

$2.15 ฿71.6

-35.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 DOP 104

$1.82 ฿60.6

-1.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 DOP 64.9

$2.18 ฿72.9

-48.62%

Eggs

$1.82 DOP 106

$2.25 ฿75.0

-19.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 DOP 420

$20.00 ฿667

-63.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 DOP 371

$3.63 ฿121

76.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 DOP 454

$13.56 ฿452

-42.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 DOP 148

$3.24 ฿108

-21.30%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 DOP 47.79

$1.64 ฿54.6

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 DOP 170

$2.33 ฿77.8

25.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 DOP 114

$2.07 ฿69.1

-5.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 DOP 136

$1.55 ฿51.6

51.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 DOP 132

$1.46 ฿48.54

55.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 DOP 60.2

$0.98 ฿32.86

6.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 DOP 45.21

$0.48 ฿16.09

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 DOP 344

$4.35 ฿145

35.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 DOP 634

$18.57 ฿620

-41.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 DOP 150

$1.86 ฿61.9

38.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 DOP 147

$2.65 ฿88.6

-4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 DOP 38.20

$1.42 ฿47.28

-53.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 DOP 202

$3.17 ฿106

9.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 DOP 128

$1.03 ฿34.41

113.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 DOP 338

$13.89 ฿463

-58.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 DOP 73.7

$1.34 ฿44.84

-5.22%

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

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-5.34%

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

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-4.10%

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

$77.4 DOP 4,496

$123 ฿4,105

-37.12%

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

$20.00 DOP 1,162

$13.77 ฿459

45.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 DOP 2,133

$18.33 ฿611

100.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.00 DOP 1,453

$60.7 ฿2,025

-58.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 DOP 385

$8.87 ฿296

-25.37%

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

$266 DOP 15.5K

$688 ฿22.9K

-61.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,285 DOP 365.2K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-60.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 DOP 3,484

$59.3 ฿1,978

1.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 DOP 2,979

$34.69 ฿1,157

47.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 DOP 5,679

$115 ฿3,843

-15.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 DOP 6,600

$83.8 ฿2,794

35.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 DOP 27.2K

$621 ฿20.7K

-24.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 DOP 27.0K

$446 ฿14.9K

4.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 DOP 82.8K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-29.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 DOP 75.6K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-13.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,946 DOP 113.1K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-43.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,802 DOP 104.7K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-28.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

5.33

142.03%

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

Last update for Sosua: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $468 in Sosua and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Sosua vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $291, with Sosua 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

Sosua vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sosua is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,797 in Sosua and $1,896 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: $468 in Sosua versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $266 in Sosua versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sosua – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,198 in Sosua versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sosua but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sosua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sosua 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, Sosua 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 Sosua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.