Cost of Living Comparison Between Sun City and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sun City and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,008 in Sun City versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,591 in Sun City versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,174 in Sun City versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sun City costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sun City 25% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.99 R 184

$4.63 ฿151

137.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.62 R 765

$46.84 ฿1,532

-2.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 R 83.1

$8.84 ฿289

-43.89%

Cappuccino

$2.22 R 37.28

$3.00 ฿98.0

-26.00%

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

$1.02 R 17.18

$0.74 ฿24.25

37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.76

$0.37 ฿11.95

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 R 45.89

$2.44 ฿79.8

12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R 41.73

$3.61 ฿118

-31.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R 18.27

$2.26 ฿73.9

-51.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 R 12.53

$1.84 ฿60.1

-59.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.80

$2.24 ฿73.4

-25.89%

Eggs

$2.45 R 41.16

$2.32 ฿75.7

5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R 135

$19.67 ฿643

-59.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.83 R 80.9

$3.65 ฿119

32.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.79 R 114

$13.10 ฿428

-48.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 R 28.01

$3.39 ฿111

-50.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.46

$1.64 ฿53.7

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.50

$2.41 ฿79.0

-36.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.72

$2.03 ฿66.4

-21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.99

$1.56 ฿50.9

-4.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 24.38

$1.50 ฿48.94

-3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.76

$1.02 ฿33.50

3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 16.06

$0.49 ฿16.00

95.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R 51.1

$4.45 ฿145

-31.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.94 R 99.7

$18.88 ฿617

-68.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 22.66

$1.78 ฿58.1

-24.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 R 27.64

$2.75 ฿90.1

-40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 R 26.92

$1.40 ฿45.81

15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.34

$3.12 ฿102

-65.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 R 15.22

$1.00 ฿32.67

-9.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 R 66.9

$14.09 ฿461

-71.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.58

$1.35 ฿44.19

-4.44%

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

$22.3K R 373.8K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-18.01%

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

$24.0K R 402.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-27.19%

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

$96.7 R 1,622

$125 ฿4,087

-22.60%

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

$40.11 R 673

$13.57 ฿444

195.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.32 R 727

$18.52 ฿606

133.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.75 R 516

$61.5 ฿2,010

-49.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$3.04 R 51.1

$9.19 ฿300

-66.92%

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

$210 R 3,522

$698 ฿22.8K

-69.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,957 R 83.1K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-68.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 R 844

$57.8 ฿1,889

-12.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 R 563

$35.24 ฿1,152

-4.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.3 R 1,128

$113 ฿3,699

-40.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 R 1,294

$86.4 ฿2,825

-10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 R 6,099

$616 ฿20.1K

-40.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 R 5,657

$446 ฿14.6K

-24.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 R 11.7K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-65.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 R 11.5K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-54.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$701 R 11.8K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-81.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$714 R 12.0K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-73.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,512 R 25.4K

$524 ฿17.1K

188.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

5.33

115.95%

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

Last update for Sun City: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $364 in Sun City and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sun City pays 189% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Sun City vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $292 per month, with Sun City 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 vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sun City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sun City pays 189% 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: $364 in Sun City versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Sun City 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 Sun City – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,008 in Sun City versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sun City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sun City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sun City 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, Sun City 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 Sun City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.