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: $1,420 in Sutomore versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,169 in Sutomore versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,918 in Sutomore versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Sutomore is roughly 12% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sutomore is 6% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.91 €11.86

$4.66 ฿150

198.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 €48.78

$46.44 ฿1,496

23.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 €8.62

$8.68 ฿280

16.36%

Cappuccino

$2.92 €2.49

$2.95 ฿95.0

-1.02%

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

$2.19 €1.86

$0.70 ฿22.52

212.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.25

$0.39 ฿12.70

274.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.91

$2.53 ฿81.6

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.93

$3.78 ฿122

-8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.17

$2.22 ฿71.5

-37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 €0.93

$1.80 ฿57.8

-39.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.50

$2.19 ฿70.4

-19.63%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.68

$2.31 ฿74.5

35.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 €7.68

$19.34 ฿623

-53.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 €6.40

$3.77 ฿121

98.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.47 €8.08

$13.22 ฿426

-28.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 €1.11

$3.33 ฿107

-60.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.65 ฿53.1

3.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 €1.39

$2.29 ฿73.7

-28.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.41

$1.99 ฿64.1

42.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 €0.91

$1.53 ฿49.24

-30.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.51 ฿48.77

-21.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.45

$1.03 ฿33.12

65.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.01

$0.51 ฿16.57

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 €3.54

$4.41 ฿142

-5.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.75 €4.05

$19.41 ฿625

-75.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.80 ฿58.0

-31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.50

$2.68 ฿86.4

-34.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.43 ฿46.11

2.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.04 €31.59

$11.70 ฿377

216.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 €1.01

$3.04 ฿97.9

-61.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 €0.64

$1.04 ฿33.37

-27.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.53 €9.83

$13.68 ฿441

-15.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.30 ฿41.85

32.31%

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

$30.2K €25.7K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

8.19%

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

$27.1K €23.1K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-17.95%

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

$139 €118

$123 ฿3,962

12.71%

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

$18.54 €15.82

$13.82 ฿445

34.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.26 €28.37

$18.86 ฿608

76.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.69 €38.12

$61.2 ฿1,970

-26.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.59 €12.45

$16.81 ฿541

-13.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 €2.92

$8.87 ฿286

-61.44%

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

$419 €357

$696 ฿22.4K

-39.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,930 €8,470

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-38.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.30 €19.87

$59.3 ฿1,910

-60.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.52 €32.86

$34.85 ฿1,123

10.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €94.9

$113 ฿3,646

-1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €111

$85.1 ฿2,740

52.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 €319

$615 ฿19.8K

-39.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 €456

$448 ฿14.4K

19.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 €1,077

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-39.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 €794

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-37.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$693 €591

$534 ฿17.2K

29.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

5.33

0.94%

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

Last update for Sutomore: April 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $374 in Sutomore and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sutomore pays 30% 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: $57 in Sutomore vs $46 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $221 vs $291, 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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sutomore pays 30% 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: $374 in Sutomore versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $419 in Sutomore versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sutomore pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,420 in Sutomore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sutomore. 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 Sutomore, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Sutomore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.