Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atenas and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,548 in Atenas, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Atenas vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Atenas $1,548
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Atenas vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Atenas $2,527
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $3,506 per month in Atenas vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Atenas $3,506
Phuket $3,154

Atenas costs about 21% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Atenas sits 14% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 ₡4,361

$4.47 ฿151

116.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 ₡25.4K

$32.41 ฿1,092

73.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 ₡5,321

$8.81 ฿297

33.83%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₡1,727

$2.83 ฿95.3

35.34%

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

$2.77 ₡1,249

$0.87 ฿29.37

218.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡875

$0.49 ฿16.64

295.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ₡1,525

$2.56 ฿86.2

32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 ₡2,005

$3.68 ฿124

20.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,079

$1.66 ฿55.9

43.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,384

$1.46 ฿49.25

110.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,016

$1.50 ฿50.4

50.00%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,571

$2.09 ฿70.4

66.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,847

$19.07 ฿642

-43.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 ₡4,310

$3.30 ฿111

189.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 ₡4,701

$10.91 ฿368

-4.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 ₡2,039

$2.93 ฿98.7

54.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.69 ฿56.9

-4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 ₡1,197

$2.25 ฿75.7

17.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,107

$2.08 ฿70.0

17.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 ₡1,719

$1.51 ฿50.9

152.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ₡1,173

$1.38 ฿46.47

88.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.07 ฿35.91

4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₡1,405

$0.52 ฿17.49

498.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 ₡2,726

$4.20 ฿142

43.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₡8,497

$18.79 ฿633

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$1.82 ฿61.4

44.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$2.84 ฿95.7

-5.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 ₡998

$1.45 ฿48.93

52.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,126

$3.02 ฿102

-17.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.02 ฿34.29

53.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.68 ₡3,917

$3.69 ฿124

135.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡677

$1.47 ฿49.70

2.04%

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

$33.7K ₡15.2M

$26.8K ฿902.4K

26.03%

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

$42.1K ₡19.0M

$26.7K ฿899.5K

57.59%

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

$94.0 ₡42.4K

$96.4 ฿3,247

-2.49%

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

$35.77 ₡16.1K

$11.26 ฿380

217.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 ₡23.6K

$16.85 ฿568

210.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.83 ₡21.6K

$67.2 ฿2,266

-28.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.06 ₡4,995

$10.73 ฿361

3.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ₡3,407

$7.50 ฿253

0.67%

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

$975 ₡440.3K

$476 ฿16.0K

104.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,667 ₡3.0M

$11.3K ฿379.6K

-40.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.5K

$62.4 ฿2,102

15.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.5K

$28.41 ฿957

90.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡57.1K

$94.3 ฿3,178

34.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.8K

$85.8 ฿2,892

51.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₡300.6K

$716 ฿24.1K

-6.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₡248.2K

$491 ฿16.5K

12.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 ₡693.8K

$1,927 ฿64.9K

-20.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 ₡561.7K

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-13.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,330 ₡600.6K

$502 ฿16.9K

164.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.57

54.76%

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

Last update for Atenas: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atenas

$550 35.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 10.7% $59

Groceries & Markets

Atenas

$358 23.2%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 25.7% $92

Eating Out

Atenas

$203 13.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 40.1% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atenas

$182 11.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 31.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Atenas

$172 11.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 29.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Atenas

$63 4.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 30.7% $19

Getting Around

Atenas

$19 * 1.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 268% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Atenas versus $716 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 in Atenas are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Atenas versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Atenas

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:26 10:26 PM

11:26 11:26 AM

13 h ahead of Atenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Atenas Phuket 18,010 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Atenas
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

Atenas vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Atenas is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Atenas and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $666 in Atenas and $716 in Phuket. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Atenas and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Atenas, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Atenas at $1,548. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Atenas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,548 in Atenas. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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