Cost of Living Comparison Between Arun and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Arun and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Arun vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,345 per month in Arun vs $2,297 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,425 per month in Arun vs $3,329 in Phuket, rent included.

Arun costs about 79% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Arun sits 69% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.12 £14.24

$4.70 ฿153

306.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £81.6

$45.37 ฿1,482

141.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 £8.05

$8.43 ฿275

28.11%

Cappuccino

$2.66 £1.98

$2.93 ฿95.6

-9.22%

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

$2.87 £2.14

$0.69 ฿22.40

315.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.38

$0.37 ฿11.99

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 £2.07

$2.41 ฿78.6

14.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 £2.49

$3.72 ฿122

-9.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$2.23 ฿72.9

-20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 £1.57

$1.83 ฿59.8

15.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.84

$2.17 ฿70.8

13.82%

Eggs

$5.02 £3.74

$2.21 ฿72.3

127.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.70 £3.50

$19.74 ฿645

-76.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 £6.59

$3.63 ฿119

143.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 £10.89

$13.53 ฿442

8.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 £1.50

$3.28 ฿107

-38.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.61 ฿52.6

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.41 ฿78.6

33.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 £2.58

$2.08 ฿68.1

66.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.53 ฿49.93

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 £0.82

$1.48 ฿48.36

-25.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 £0.58

$0.99 ฿32.29

-21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 £0.80

$0.51 ฿16.67

109.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.25 £13.60

$4.41 ฿144

313.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 £9.87

$19.38 ฿633

-31.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.78 ฿58.1

11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 £2.91

$2.71 ฿88.6

43.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.39 £3.27

$1.37 ฿44.79

220.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.8 £65.4

$11.39 ฿372

671.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 £4.00

$3.02 ฿98.6

77.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 £1.31

$0.99 ฿32.48

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 £30.70

$14.10 ฿461

192.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.36 ฿44.51

37.50%

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

$39.1K £29.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

38.81%

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

$39.4K £29.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

19.66%

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

$321 £239

$122 ฿3,975

163.86%

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

$19.59 £14.60

$13.57 ฿443

44.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.11 £32.11

$18.31 ฿598

135.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 £40.23

$60.2 ฿1,967

-10.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 £4.46

$8.69 ฿284

-31.07%

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

$2,519 £1,877

$693 ฿22.6K

263.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K £20.8K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

77.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.99 £25.32

$59.5 ฿1,944

-42.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.26 £28.51

$34.77 ฿1,136

10.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 £94.5

$115 ฿3,743

10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 £50.6

$83.3 ฿2,720

-18.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 £869

$613 ฿20.0K

90.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 £756

$437 ฿14.3K

132.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 £1,489

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-4.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 £1,251

$1,509 ฿49.3K

11.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,509 £3,359

$3,749 ฿122.5K

20.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,540 £2,637

$508 ฿16.6K

596.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

5.33

-5.25%

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

Last update for Arun: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,166 in Arun versus $613 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 597% higher in Arun, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Arun versus $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $286 in Arun vs $293 in Phuket – so Arun wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Arun vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arun costs about 79% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,397 per month in Arun and $1,898 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Arun and $45.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,265 in Arun and $1,265 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Arun at $2,265. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arun it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,265 versus $2,265 in Arun. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.