Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apia and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $850 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$850

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Apia and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Apia and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Apia versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Apia $850
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,289 in Apia versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Apia $2,289
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,728 in Apia versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Apia $3,728
Phuket $3,115

Living in Apia costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Apia 37% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$46.83 WST 130

$4.39 ฿147

966.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.74 WST 99.4

$32.31 ฿1,078

10.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.46 WST 40.22

$8.70 ฿290

66.21%

Cappuccino

$2.94 WST 8.17

$2.72 ฿90.9

8.09%

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

$1.79 WST 4.99

$0.93 ฿31.06

92.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 WST 3.89

$0.50 ฿16.67

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 WST 9.79

$2.53 ฿84.5

39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 WST 10.36

$3.63 ฿121

2.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 WST 4.96

$1.74 ฿58.1

2.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 WST 2.37

$1.45 ฿48.42

-41.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 WST 5.09

$1.50 ฿50.1

22.00%

Eggs

$4.30 WST 11.95

$2.17 ฿72.5

98.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.93 WST 2.60

$19.09 ฿637

-95.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 WST 9.94

$3.40 ฿113

5.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 WST 22.61

$10.90 ฿364

-25.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 WST 14.08

$2.94 ฿98.2

72.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 WST 5.18

$1.69 ฿56.5

10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 WST 5.13

$2.19 ฿73.2

-15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 WST 12.33

$2.12 ฿70.9

108.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 WST 10.31

$1.46 ฿48.68

154.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 WST 2.95

$1.37 ฿45.66

-22.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.91

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 WST 3.41

$0.55 ฿18.21

123.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 WST 17.46

$4.43 ฿148

41.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.68 WST 46.39

$18.25 ฿609

-8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 WST 4.94

$1.77 ฿59.2

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 WST 10.41

$2.88 ฿96.2

29.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 WST 10.19

$1.45 ฿48.32

152.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,832

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 WST 15.51

$1.51 ฿50.5

269.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.42 WST 15.07

$0.78 ฿25.90

594.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.23 WST 61.8

$3.84 ฿128

478.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 WST 2.96

$1.49 ฿49.65

-28.86%

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

$26.9K ฿897.3K

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

$26.3K ฿879.4K

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

$17.96 WST 49.93

$97.8 ฿3,265

-81.64%

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

$18.09 WST 50.3

$11.29 ฿377

60.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.80 WST 99.6

$17.19 ฿574

108.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,281

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

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

$530 ฿17.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿626.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,059

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿943

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,204

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 WST 4,905

$1,397 ฿46.6K

26.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿139.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Apia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Apia

–

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Groceries & Markets

Apia

–

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Apia

–

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Apia

–

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Eating Out

Apia

–

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Apia

–

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Getting Around

Apia

–

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $36 in Apia vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $240 vs $267, with Apia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇼🇸 Apia

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

03:13 3:13 AM

6 h behind Apia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Samoan Tala WST T

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 WST = 0.36 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to WST – Samoan Tala Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.36 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to WST in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Apia Phuket 10,200 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Apia
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Apia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,275 in Apia and $1,940 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.

All in, you’ll spend $850 per month in Apia versus $1,294 in Phuket – Apia is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Apia is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Apia and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.