Cost of Living Comparison Between Sylhet and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sylhet and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $351 in Sylhet versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $562 in Sylhet versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $774 in Sylhet versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sylhet costs roughly 72% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sylhet 74% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 ৳256

$4.63 ฿151

-54.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.72 ৳1,316

$46.84 ฿1,532

-77.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.07 ৳500

$8.84 ฿289

-53.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 ৳498

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ৳534

Cappuccino

$1.87 ৳229

$3.00 ฿98.0

-37.67%

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

$0.35 ৳42.50

$0.74 ฿24.25

-52.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ৳19.02

$0.37 ฿11.95

-59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 ৳92.9

$2.26 ฿73.9

-66.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ৳61.9

$1.84 ฿60.1

-72.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ৳80.5

$2.24 ฿73.4

-70.54%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳148

$2.32 ฿75.7

-47.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.80 ৳835

$19.67 ฿643

-65.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.58 ৳317

$3.65 ฿119

-29.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.23 ৳765

$13.10 ฿428

-52.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ৳264

$3.39 ฿111

-36.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ৳124

$1.64 ฿53.7

-38.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ৳244

$2.41 ฿79.0

-17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ৳62.1

$2.03 ฿66.4

-74.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 ৳46.95

$1.56 ฿50.9

-75.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ৳81.6

$1.50 ฿48.94

-56.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳43.56

$1.02 ฿33.50

-65.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 ৳31.56

$0.49 ฿16.00

-46.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.77 ৳462

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 ৳285

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 ৳553

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 ৳330

$4.45 ฿145

-39.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ৳48.33

$1.40 ฿45.81

-72.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.46 ৳2,021

$11.48 ฿376

43.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ৳99.1

$3.12 ฿102

-74.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ৳42.46

$1.00 ฿32.67

-65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ৳178

$14.09 ฿461

-89.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ৳112

$1.35 ฿44.19

-32.59%

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

$28.2K ৳3.5M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

3.70%

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

$25.7K ৳3.2M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.80%

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

$29.98 ৳3,680

$125 ฿4,087

-76.01%

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

$4.77 ৳585

$13.57 ฿444

-64.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.95 ৳1,589

$18.52 ฿606

-30.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.12 ৳1,242

$61.5 ฿2,010

-83.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.29 ৳1,017

$16.84 ฿551

-50.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.16 ৳511

$9.19 ฿300

-54.73%

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

$36.61 ৳4,494

$698 ฿22.8K

-94.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$922 ৳113.1K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-94.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.81 ৳1,695

$57.8 ฿1,889

-76.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.97 ৳2,084

$35.24 ฿1,152

-51.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.31 ৳4,702

$113 ฿3,699

-66.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.69 ৳4,504

$86.4 ฿2,825

-57.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$68.5 ৳8,411

$616 ฿20.1K

-88.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$60.7 ৳7,445

$446 ฿14.6K

-86.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$164 ৳20.1K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-92.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ৳13.8K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-92.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$595 ৳73.1K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-84.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$311 ৳38.2K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-88.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 ৳28.4K

$524 ฿17.1K

-55.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.83

5.33

65.67%

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

Last update for Sylhet: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $68.5 in Sylhet and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 126% 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: $11.00 in Sylhet vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $106 vs $292 per month, with Sylhet 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

Sylhet vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sylhet is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 251% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 126% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $68.5 in Sylhet versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $36.61 in Sylhet versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 175% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $351 in Sylhet versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sylhet but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sylhet the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sylhet 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, Sylhet 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 Sylhet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 251% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.