Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arue and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Arue: $1,012 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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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Arue

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$1,012

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arue 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 Arue and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Arue versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Arue $1,012
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,498 in Arue versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Arue $1,498
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,984 in Arue versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Arue $1,984
Phuket $2,845

Living in Arue costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Arue 25% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 CFPF 142

$1.73 ฿57.7

-22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$4.54 CFPF 481

$1.47 ฿49.11

208.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 CFPF 397

$1.51 ฿50.6

148.34%

Eggs

$11.43 CFPF 1,209

$2.17 ฿72.7

426.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$55.4 CFPF 5,859

$19.70 ฿658

181.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.05 CFPF 2,756

$3.34 ฿112

679.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.92 CFPF 2,425

$11.16 ฿373

105.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 CFPF 560

$2.85 ฿95.1

85.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 CFPF 305

$1.70 ฿56.9

70.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.36 CFPF 779

$2.19 ฿73.3

236.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.54 CFPF 904

$2.05 ฿68.4

316.59%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 CFPF 433

$1.45 ฿48.57

182.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 CFPF 300

$1.38 ฿46.16

105.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.81 CFPF 403

$1.07 ฿35.69

256.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CFPF 145

$0.51 ฿16.91

168.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 CFPF 1,255

$4.26 ฿142

178.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$27.67 CFPF 2,927

$18.58 ฿621

48.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 CFPF 289

$1.78 ฿59.7

53.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 CFPF 782

$2.85 ฿95.2

159.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$156 CFPF 16.5K

$96.4 ฿3,221

62.04%

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

$11.04 ฿369

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 CFPF 12.9K

$17.14 ฿573

611.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

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

$556 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

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 Arue: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arue

–

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Groceries & Markets

Arue

–

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arue

–

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Arue

–

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Eating Out

Arue

–

Phuket

$121 10%

Sport & Entertainment

Arue

–

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Getting Around

Arue

–

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Good to know

🇵🇫 Arue

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

17:48 5:48 PM

17 h ahead of Arue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

79,308

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Arue Phuket 12,610 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Arue
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

Arue vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arue wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Arue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,518 in Arue and $1,813 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.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 173% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,012 per month in Arue versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,012 in Arue versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Arue but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Arue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Arue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,012 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Arue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Arue 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 Arue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.