Cost of Living Comparison Between Sun City Center, FL and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sun City Center, FL and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,459 in Sun City Center, FL versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,634 in Sun City Center, FL versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,809 in Sun City Center, FL versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sun City Center, FL is roughly 100% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sun City Center, FL is 84% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.01 $20.01

$4.63 ฿151

332.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.8 $79.8

$46.84 ฿1,532

70.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 $11.53

$8.84 ฿289

30.43%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$3.00 ฿98.0

70.67%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$0.74 ฿24.25

285.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.37 ฿11.95

518.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.44 ฿79.8

103.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 $6.85

$3.61 ฿118

89.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.26 ฿73.9

-49.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.84 ฿60.1

108.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.24 ฿73.4

124.11%

Eggs

$3.08 $3.08

$2.32 ฿75.7

32.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 $11.40

$19.67 ฿643

-42.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.80 $11.80

$3.65 ฿119

223.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$13.10 ฿428

27.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.39 ฿111

45.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.64 ฿53.7

6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.41 ฿79.0

150.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.03 ฿66.4

69.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.56 ฿50.9

75.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.50 ฿48.94

48.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.02 ฿33.50

172.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.49 ฿16.00

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.27 $8.27

$4.45 ฿145

85.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 $13.09

$18.88 ฿617

-30.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.78 ฿58.1

24.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.75 ฿90.1

-2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.40 ฿45.81

46.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.12 ฿102

-9.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.00 ฿32.67

91.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.10 $35.10

$14.09 ฿461

149.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.35 ฿44.19

-34.07%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-2.44%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-30.05%

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

$121 $121

$125 ฿4,087

-3.52%

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

$40.71 $40.71

$13.57 ฿444

200.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$18.52 ฿606

225.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.64 $42.64

$61.5 ฿2,010

-30.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 $14.72

$9.19 ฿300

60.17%

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

$1,161 $1,161

$698 ฿22.8K

66.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,789 $9,789

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-37.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.37 $47.37

$57.8 ฿1,889

-17.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 $37.67

$35.24 ฿1,152

6.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 $81.4

$113 ฿3,699

-28.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$86.4 ฿2,825

27.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 $1,571

$616 ฿20.1K

155.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 $1,370

$446 ฿14.6K

207.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,582 $2,582

$2,048 ฿67.0K

26.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,226 $2,226

$1,492 ฿48.8K

49.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,811 $2,811

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-25.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,547 $2,547

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-3.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.33

23.64%

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

Last update for Sun City Center, FL: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,571 in Sun City Center, FL and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Sun City Center, FL vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 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

Sun City Center, FL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,689 in Sun City Center, FL and $1,847 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: $1,571 in Sun City Center, FL versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,161 in Sun City Center, FL 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 $80.0 in Sun City Center, FL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,459 in Sun City Center, FL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sun City Center, FL. 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 Sun City Center, FL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sun City Center, FL 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 100% less than in Sun City Center, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.