Cost of Living Comparison Between Sutomore and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sutomore and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,139 in Sutomore versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Sutomore versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,354 in Sutomore versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Sutomore costs roughly 10% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sutomore 17% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.39 €9.79

$4.66 ฿153

144.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.11 €31.91

$32.22 ฿1,059

15.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 €7.95

$8.68 ฿285

6.57%

Cappuccino

$2.69 €2.31

$2.90 ฿95.3

-7.24%

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

$2.25 €1.94

$0.84 ฿27.75

167.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$0.49 ฿16.08

222.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.48 ฿81.6

14.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.97

$3.73 ฿123

-7.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.89 ฿62.0

-37.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.41 ฿46.31

-28.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.62 ฿53.3

46.30%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.74

$2.24 ฿73.7

41.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 €7.89

$19.84 ฿652

-53.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.68

$3.48 ฿114

123.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 €10.97

$11.37 ฿374

12.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 €1.13

$2.90 ฿95.3

-54.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.72 ฿56.7

-6.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.27 ฿74.7

-29.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 €2.58

$2.13 ฿70.1

41.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.47 ฿48.49

-39.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.42 ฿46.69

-19.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.10 ฿36.08

39.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.60 ฿19.66

51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 €3.42

$4.31 ฿142

-7.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$18.60 ฿612

-75.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.80 ฿59.2

-28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.97 ฿97.5

-41.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.25 ฿73.8

-24.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.87 €35.14

$23.49 ฿772

73.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.10 ฿102

-63.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.08 ฿35.39

8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.25 €14.84

$3.87 ฿127

345.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.43 ฿46.93

20.98%

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

$30.7K €26.4K

$27.8K ฿913.6K

10.60%

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

$21.8K €18.8K

$27.0K ฿887.2K

-19.14%

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

$138 €118

$105 ฿3,446

31.25%

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

$13.76 €11.83

$11.39 ฿375

20.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.84 €29.96

$17.54 ฿577

98.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 €39.78

$54.3 ฿1,787

-14.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 €13.13

$11.44 ฿376

33.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 €5.52

$7.78 ฿256

-17.48%

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

$418 €359

$576 ฿19.0K

-27.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,360 €6,328

$11.6K ฿380.8K

-36.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.9

$63.6 ฿2,092

38.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 €30.06

$29.10 ฿957

20.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 €65.9

$96.2 ฿3,164

-20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 €85.6

$90.0 ฿2,960

10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 €331

$733 ฿24.1K

-47.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 €251

$501 ฿16.5K

-41.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 €501

$2,126 ฿69.9K

-72.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 €458

$1,252 ฿41.2K

-57.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,515 €3,023

$3,534 ฿116.2K

-0.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,427 €2,087

$2,622 ฿86.2K

-7.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$702 €604

$508 ฿16.7K

38.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Sutomore: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Sutomore and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sutomore pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Sutomore vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $275, with Sutomore 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

Sutomore vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sutomore is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Sutomore, 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: $385 in Sutomore versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $418 in Sutomore 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 21% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,139 in Sutomore versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sutomore but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sutomore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sutomore 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, Sutomore 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 Sutomore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.