Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayey and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayey and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,173 in Cayey versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,402 in Cayey versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,630 in Cayey versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Cayey is roughly 76% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cayey is 59% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.76 $18.76

$4.41 ฿147

325.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 $84.4

$32.26 ฿1,074

161.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 $9.46

$8.93 ฿297

5.94%

Cappuccino

$3.59 $3.59

$2.90 ฿96.4

23.79%

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

$1.77 $1.77

$0.88 ฿29.30

101.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.48 ฿16.01

197.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.35 ฿78.3

25.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.72 ฿124

37.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.87 ฿62.1

19.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.47 ฿48.81

144.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.55 ฿51.7

52.26%

Eggs

$7.52 $7.52

$2.10 ฿70.0

258.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$19.59 ฿652

-37.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$3.42 ฿114

187.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 $13.56

$11.38 ฿379

19.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$2.98 ฿99.3

74.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.68 ฿56.1

57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.21 ฿73.5

122.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.16 ฿72.0

124.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$1.52 ฿50.8

155.26%

Onion (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.34 ฿44.55

201.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.13 ฿37.57

207.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.55 ฿18.19

198.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.22 $12.22

$4.26 ฿142

186.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 $15.91

$19.09 ฿635

-16.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.78 ฿59.2

66.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.78 ฿92.6

43.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.03 ฿101

-15.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.02 ฿34.06

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.40 $42.40

$3.89 ฿130

989.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.49 ฿49.63

-31.54%

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

$40.6K $40.6K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

52.68%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

2.97%

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

$316 $316

$102 ฿3,411

208.18%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$11.33 ฿377

505.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$17.40 ฿579

306.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 $39.49

$52.1 ฿1,734

-24.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$9.87 $9.87

$7.69 ฿256

28.35%

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

$824 $824

$561 ฿18.7K

47.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K $12.3K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

7.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$63.0 ฿2,098

-9.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 $61.4

$29.52 ฿983

108.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$98.0 ฿3,263

12.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$88.5 ฿2,946

26.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 $1,214

$738 ฿24.6K

64.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 $793

$482 ฿16.1K

64.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,408 $2,408

$2,107 ฿70.1K

14.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 $1,824

$1,226 ฿40.8K

48.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,728 $3,728

$494 ฿16.4K

655.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.57

17.59%

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

Last update for Cayey: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Cayey and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cayey pays 655% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $84.0 in Cayey vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $274 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Cayey vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayey and Phuket differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($2,173 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 655% higher in Cayey, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,214 in Cayey versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $824 in Cayey versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $84.0 in Cayey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,173 in Cayey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cayey. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Cayey 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Cayey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.