Cost of Living Comparison Between Sterling and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sterling and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,702 in Sterling versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,957 in Sterling versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,211 in Sterling versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sterling is roughly 119% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sterling is 102% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 $20.26

$4.63 ฿151

337.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 $84.0

$46.84 ฿1,523

79.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 $13.22

$8.84 ฿287

49.55%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$3.00 ฿97.4

81.33%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$0.74 ฿24.11

268.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$0.37 ฿11.88

527.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$2.44 ฿79.3

143.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$3.61 ฿117

113.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.26 ฿73.5

-60.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.84 ฿59.8

94.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.24 ฿73.0

-5.80%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.32 ฿75.3

118.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.02 $19.02

$19.67 ฿639

-3.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.14 $12.14

$3.65 ฿119

232.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.57 $18.57

$13.10 ฿426

41.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.39 ฿110

38.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.64 ฿53.4

-18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.15 $7.15

$2.41 ฿78.5

196.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$2.03 ฿66.0

216.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.56 ฿50.6

128.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.50 ฿48.66

82.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.02 ฿33.30

119.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.49 ฿15.91

387.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 $8.87

$4.45 ฿145

99.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.73 $13.73

$18.88 ฿614

-27.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.78 ฿57.7

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.75 ฿89.5

77.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.40 ฿45.54

43.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.12 ฿101

40.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.00 ฿32.48

39.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.14 $29.14

$14.09 ฿458

106.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.35 ฿43.93

-35.56%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-1.64%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-26.25%

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

$212 $212

$125 ฿4,063

69.48%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$13.57 ฿441

294.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$18.52 ฿602

293.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.61 $28.61

$61.5 ฿1,999

-53.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$9.19 ฿299

61.59%

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

$1,740 $1,740

$698 ฿22.7K

149.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

52.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.46 $47.46

$57.8 ฿1,878

-17.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.60 $44.60

$35.24 ฿1,146

26.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 $97.9

$113 ฿3,677

-13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$86.4 ฿2,808

36.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 $1,242

$616 ฿20.0K

101.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 $1,362

$446 ฿14.5K

205.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 $1,975

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-3.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$1,492 ฿48.5K

47.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,221 $3,221

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-14.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,375 $2,375

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-10.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,819 $3,819

$524 ฿17.0K

629.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.33

23.26%

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

Last update for Sterling: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,242 in Sterling and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sterling pays 629% 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: $84.0 in Sterling vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $292 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

Sterling vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sterling pays 629% more on average, 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: $1,242 in Sterling versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,740 in Sterling versus $698 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 $84.0 in Sterling. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,702 in Sterling, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sterling. 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 Sterling, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sterling 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 119% less than in Sterling. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.