Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Cayo Coco versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,705 in Cayo Coco versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,156 in Cayo Coco versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Cayo Coco is roughly 2% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cayo Coco 6% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 CUP 116

$4.63 ฿151

4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.79 CUP 355

$46.84 ฿1,532

-68.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.88 CUP 165

$8.84 ฿289

-22.17%

Cappuccino

$0.99 CUP 23.69

$3.00 ฿98.0

-67.00%

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

$1.96 CUP 46.97

$0.74 ฿24.25

164.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.66

$0.37 ฿11.95

167.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 CUP 48.77

$2.44 ฿79.8

-16.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 CUP 70.8

$3.61 ฿118

-18.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 CUP 73.1

$2.26 ฿73.9

34.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 CUP 24.67

$1.84 ฿60.1

-44.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 CUP 49.31

$2.24 ฿73.4

-8.48%

Eggs

$3.57 CUP 85.7

$2.32 ฿75.7

53.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.15 CUP 148

$19.67 ฿643

-68.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 CUP 118

$3.65 ฿119

35.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.88 CUP 237

$13.10 ฿428

-24.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 CUP 120

$3.39 ฿111

46.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.31

$1.64 ฿53.7

-40.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$2.41 ฿79.0

-59.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 CUP 24.35

$2.03 ฿66.4

-50.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.37

$1.56 ฿50.9

-34.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CUP 72.5

$1.50 ฿48.94

101.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 CUP 23.37

$1.02 ฿33.50

-4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 CUP 23.32

$0.49 ฿16.00

97.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 CUP 70.2

$4.45 ฿145

-34.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 CUP 242

$18.88 ฿617

-46.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CUP 46.77

$1.78 ฿58.1

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CUP 49.22

$2.75 ฿90.1

-25.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.77 CUP 474

$11.48 ฿376

72.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 CUP 24.36

$3.12 ฿102

-67.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 CUP 24.38

$1.00 ฿32.67

2.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.66 CUP 472

$14.09 ฿461

39.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$1.35 ฿44.19

-27.41%

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

$70.1K CUP 1.7M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

157.80%

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

$80.8K CUP 1.9M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

145.38%

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

$40.48 CUP 972

$125 ฿4,087

-67.61%

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

$40.55 CUP 973

$13.57 ฿444

198.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$219 CUP 5,256

$18.52 ฿606

1082.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 CUP 969

$61.5 ฿2,010

-34.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 CUP 242

$16.84 ฿551

-40.20%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.43

$9.19 ฿300

-88.90%

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

$91.5 CUP 2,196

$698 ฿22.8K

-86.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K CUP 366.0K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-2.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.50 CUP 948

$57.8 ฿1,889

-31.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.22 CUP 725

$35.24 ฿1,152

-14.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 CUP 1,789

$113 ฿3,699

-34.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 CUP 1,939

$86.4 ฿2,825

-6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 CUP 9,499

$616 ฿20.1K

-35.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 CUP 10.2K

$446 ฿14.6K

-4.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 CUP 25.1K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-48.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 CUP 14.8K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-58.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$296 CUP 7,114

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-92.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$352 CUP 8,454

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-86.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$20.16 CUP 484

$524 ฿17.1K

-96.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

87.62%

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

Last update for Cayo Coco: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Cayo Coco and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2498% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15.00 in Cayo Coco vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $292 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cayo Coco vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Cayo Coco. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Phuket earns 2498% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $396 in Cayo Coco versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 72% less than in Cayo Coco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $91.5 in Cayo Coco versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,253 in Cayo Coco, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cayo Coco. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cayo Coco 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 2% less than in Cayo Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.