Cost of Living Comparison Between Soustons and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Soustons and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,958 in Soustons versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,057 in Soustons versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,156 in Soustons versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Soustons is roughly 55% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Soustons is 42% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.31 €14.92

$4.66 ฿154

271.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 €69.7

$32.22 ฿1,065

150.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.71 €11.82

$8.68 ฿287

57.95%

Cappuccino

$4.53 €3.90

$2.90 ฿95.8

56.21%

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

$4.22 €3.64

$0.84 ฿27.89

402.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.79

$0.49 ฿16.16

561.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 €6.72

$2.48 ฿82.0

214.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 €6.12

$3.73 ฿123

90.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.89 ฿62.3

-31.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 €0.51

$1.41 ฿46.54

-57.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$1.62 ฿53.6

59.88%

Eggs

$3.07 €2.65

$2.24 ฿74.1

37.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.64 €21.24

$19.84 ฿656

24.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.75 €12.71

$3.48 ฿115

323.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.83 €17.96

$11.37 ฿376

83.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.86

$2.90 ฿95.8

14.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 €2.22

$1.72 ฿57.0

49.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 €3.06

$2.27 ฿75.1

56.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 €3.07

$2.13 ฿70.4

67.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.47 ฿48.72

59.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 €2.55

$1.42 ฿46.92

108.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.10 ฿36.25

29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.60 ฿19.76

18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.69 €12.66

$4.31 ฿142

240.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.92 €5.96

$18.60 ฿615

-62.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 €3.16

$1.80 ฿59.5

103.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.04

$2.97 ฿98.0

18.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.25 ฿74.2

-10.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 €43.28

$23.49 ฿776

113.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.44 €7.27

$3.10 ฿102

172.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 €2.06

$1.08 ฿35.56

121.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.78 €33.43

$3.87 ฿128

902.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.43 ฿47.16

54.55%

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

$36.3K €31.3K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

30.55%

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

$34.3K €29.6K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

27.04%

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

$225 €194

$105 ฿3,462

114.42%

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

$15.01 €12.94

$11.39 ฿376

31.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.05 €29.35

$17.54 ฿580

94.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.78 €31.70

$54.3 ฿1,795

-32.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 €11.98

$7.78 ฿257

78.66%

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

$1,100 €949

$576 ฿19.0K

90.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,045

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-9.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 €106

$63.6 ฿2,103

93.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 €47.85

$29.10 ฿961

90.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €105

$96.2 ฿3,179

26.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 €148

$90.0 ฿2,974

90.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 €673

$733 ฿24.2K

6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 €548

$501 ฿16.5K

26.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 €1,285

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-29.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 €1,005

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-6.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 €3,546

$3,534 ฿116.8K

16.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,147 €2,712

$2,622 ฿86.6K

20.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.57

-31.96%

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

Last update for Soustons: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $781 in Soustons and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Soustons vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $275 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

Soustons vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,938 in Soustons and $1,898 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: $781 in Soustons versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,100 in Soustons versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Soustons. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,958 in Soustons, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Soustons. 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 Soustons, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Soustons 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 55% less than in Soustons. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.