Cost of Living Comparison Between Carenage and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Carenage and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $770 per month in Carenage vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,331 per month in Carenage vs $2,089 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,892 per month in Carenage vs $2,913 in Phuket, rent included.

Carenage is about 39% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Carenage and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Carenage 44% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 TTD 68.7

$4.66 ฿154

118.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 TTD 398

$32.22 ฿1,065

83.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 TTD 55.5

$8.68 ฿287

-5.07%

Cappuccino

$3.74 TTD 25.21

$2.90 ฿95.8

28.97%

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

$1.00 TTD 6.71

$0.84 ฿27.89

19.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 TTD 4.76

$0.49 ฿16.16

44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 TTD 12.65

$2.48 ฿82.0

-24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 TTD 17.30

$3.73 ฿123

-31.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 TTD 13.25

$1.89 ฿62.3

4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 TTD 15.45

$1.41 ฿46.54

62.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 TTD 19.09

$1.62 ฿53.6

74.69%

Eggs

$3.94 TTD 26.58

$2.24 ฿74.1

75.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.62 TTD 44.62

$19.84 ฿656

-66.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 TTD 67.5

$3.48 ฿115

187.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.81 TTD 59.4

$11.37 ฿376

-22.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.66 TTD 38.18

$2.90 ฿95.8

95.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 TTD 17.09

$1.72 ฿57.0

47.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 TTD 24.45

$2.27 ฿75.1

59.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 TTD 28.47

$2.13 ฿70.4

98.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 TTD 4.84

$1.47 ฿48.72

-51.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 TTD 5.23

$1.42 ฿46.92

-45.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 TTD 9.81

$1.10 ฿36.25

32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 TTD 7.88

$0.60 ฿19.76

95.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 TTD 38.49

$4.31 ฿142

32.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.43 TTD 118

$18.60 ฿615

-6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 TTD 9.97

$1.80 ฿59.5

-17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 TTD 19.86

$2.97 ฿98.0

-0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 TTD 5.80

$3.10 ฿102

-72.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 TTD 5.66

$1.08 ฿35.56

-22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.50 TTD 97.8

$3.87 ฿128

274.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 TTD 7.82

$1.43 ฿47.16

-18.88%

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

$36.4K TTD 245.1K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

30.83%

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

$41.2K TTD 277.5K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

52.57%

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

$44.30 TTD 299

$105 ฿3,462

-57.73%

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

$42.80 TTD 289

$11.39 ฿376

275.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.70 TTD 308

$17.54 ฿580

160.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$8.58 TTD 57.9

$7.78 ฿257

10.28%

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

$396 TTD 2,672

$576 ฿19.0K

-31.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K TTD 71.9K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-7.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 TTD 366

$63.6 ฿2,103

-14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.99 TTD 249

$29.10 ฿961

27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 TTD 603

$96.2 ฿3,179

-7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 TTD 597

$90.0 ฿2,974

-1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

5.57

3.23%

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

Last update for Carenage: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Carenage versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $317 vs $275 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Carenage vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 64%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,155 per month in Carenage and $1,898 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Carenage and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Phuket – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Carenage, where all-in costs run around $770, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Carenage it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Carenage – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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