🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $884 in Alexandria versus $1,265 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,450 in Alexandria versus $2,297 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,015 in Alexandria versus $3,329 in Phuket.
🙂Living in Alexandria costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria34% lower, Phuket6% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alexandria
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.32JMD 1,147
$4.70฿153
55.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7JMD 9,669
$45.37฿1,482
36.01%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.78JMD 1,376
$8.43฿275
4.15%
Cappuccino
$4.40JMD 689
$2.93฿95.6
50.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36JMD 213
$0.69฿22.40
97.10%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72JMD 112
$0.37฿11.99
94.59%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.43JMD 380
$2.41฿78.6
0.83%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05JMD 478
$3.72฿122
-18.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alexandria
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$4.24JMD 665
$2.23฿72.9
90.13%
White Bread(500g)
$3.62JMD 568
$1.83฿59.8
97.81%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.55JMD 243
$2.17฿70.8
-28.57%
Eggs
$3.46JMD 543
$2.21฿72.3
56.56%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.89JMD 1,706
$19.74฿645
-44.83%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.30JMD 988
$3.63฿119
73.55%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.49JMD 1,174
$13.53฿442
-44.64%
Apples(1kg)
$6.05JMD 948
$3.28฿107
84.45%
Banana(1kg)
$3.02JMD 473
$1.61฿52.6
87.58%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.15JMD 650
$2.41฿78.6
72.20%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.06JMD 480
$2.08฿68.1
47.12%
Potato(1kg)
$2.10JMD 329
$1.53฿49.93
37.25%
Onion(1kg)
$1.93JMD 303
$1.48฿48.36
30.41%
Lettuce(1 head)
$3.11JMD 488
$0.99฿32.29
214.14%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.49JMD 234
$0.51฿16.67
192.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$8.69JMD 1,361
$4.41฿144
97.05%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.55JMD 1,809
$19.38฿633
-40.40%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.85JMD 447
$1.78฿58.1
60.11%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05JMD 478
$2.71฿88.6
12.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Alexandria
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$1.37฿44.79
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.39฿372
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.12JMD 175
$3.02฿98.6
-62.91%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.20JMD 501
$0.99฿32.48
223.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$6.11JMD 957
$14.10฿461
-56.67%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.23JMD 192
$1.36฿44.51
-9.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.3KJMD 6.8M
$28.2K฿921.1K
53.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.0KJMD 5.2M
$32.9K฿1.1M
0.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alexandria
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$161JMD 25.3K
$122฿3,975
32.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.32JMD 3,497
$13.57฿443
64.48%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.2JMD 8,016
$18.31฿598
179.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alexandria
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
-
$60.2฿1,967
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.14฿560
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.40JMD 2,100
$8.69฿284
54.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alexandria
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$229JMD 35.9K
$693฿22.6K
-66.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,485JMD 389.3K
$15.7K฿512.3K
-84.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alexandria
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.84JMD 4,049
$59.5฿1,944
-56.59%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.62JMD 4,014
$34.77฿1,136
-26.32%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$71.5JMD 11.2K
$115฿3,743
-37.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.2JMD 11.9K
$83.3฿2,720
-8.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alexandria
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$613฿20.0K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$437฿14.3K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$2,094฿68.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$1,509฿49.3K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,749฿122.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,616฿85.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alexandria
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$508฿16.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9.15
5.33
71.67%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Alexandria: May 31, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🛒Dining out: $62.0 in Alexandria vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $293 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
Alexandria vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Alexandria and Phuket?
Alexandria and Phuket differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($884 vs $1,265 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Alexandria compared to Phuket?
You'd need roughly $1,326 in Alexandria and $1,898 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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Alexandria and Phuket?
Childcare runs $229 in Alexandria versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $884 in Alexandria versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Alexandria and Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Alexandria or Phuket safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Alexandria 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.
Where should expats move: Alexandria or Phuket?
Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Alexandria vs other spots: cost of living compared