Cost of Living Comparison Between Chanthaburi and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Chanthaburi and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $883 in Chanthaburi versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chanthaburi versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,938 in Chanthaburi versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Chanthaburi costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chanthaburi 34% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.21 ฿39.42

$4.63 ฿151

-73.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.25 ฿1,016

$46.84 ฿1,523

-33.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 ฿205

$8.84 ฿287

-28.73%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ฿48.85

$3.00 ฿97.4

-50.00%

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

$0.57 ฿18.46

$0.74 ฿24.11

-22.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.55

$0.37 ฿11.88

-21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ฿57.6

$2.44 ฿79.3

-27.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 ฿130

$3.61 ฿117

10.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ฿51.4

$2.26 ฿73.5

-30.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 ฿43.80

$1.84 ฿59.8

-26.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ฿30.29

$2.24 ฿73.0

-58.48%

Eggs

$2.15 ฿70.0

$2.32 ฿75.3

-7.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.28 ฿594

$19.67 ฿639

-7.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿97.7

$3.65 ฿119

-17.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 ฿300

$13.10 ฿426

-29.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 ฿111

$3.39 ฿110

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ฿58.4

$1.64 ฿53.4

9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿71.9

$2.41 ฿78.5

-8.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 ฿60.4

$2.03 ฿66.0

-8.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.69

$1.56 ฿50.6

-21.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.08

$1.50 ฿48.66

-3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.24

$1.02 ฿33.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.00

$0.49 ฿15.91

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿141

$4.45 ฿145

-2.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.96 ฿551

$18.88 ฿614

-10.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿56.5

$1.78 ฿57.7

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿109

$2.75 ฿89.5

21.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.19

$1.40 ฿45.54

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.04 ฿1,009

$11.48 ฿373

170.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 ฿36.11

$3.12 ฿101

-64.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.21

$1.00 ฿32.48

-1.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 ฿203

$14.09 ฿458

-55.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿40.04

$1.35 ฿43.93

-8.89%

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

$37.7K ฿1.2M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

38.62%

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

$24.1K ฿785.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-26.65%

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

$87.8 ฿2,855

$125 ฿4,063

-29.72%

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

$3.79 ฿123

$13.57 ฿441

-72.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.69 ฿348

$18.52 ฿602

-42.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.71 ฿1,616

$61.5 ฿1,999

-19.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.04 ฿392

$16.84 ฿547

-28.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.48 ฿178

$9.19 ฿299

-40.37%

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

$598 ฿19.4K

$698 ฿22.7K

-14.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K ฿424.3K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-16.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$7.62 ฿248

$57.8 ฿1,878

-86.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ฿1,206

$35.24 ฿1,146

5.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 ฿2,269

$113 ฿3,677

-38.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$21.98 ฿715

$86.4 ฿2,808

-74.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 ฿13.7K

$616 ฿20.0K

-31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ฿9,219

$446 ฿14.5K

-36.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 ฿26.4K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-60.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ฿21.5K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-55.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,137 ฿69.5K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-43.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,529 ฿49.7K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-42.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.33

9.57%

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

Last update for Chanthaburi: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Chanthaburi and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Chanthaburi vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $292 per month, with Chanthaburi 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

Chanthaburi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chanthaburi and Phuket differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($883 vs $1,232 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,324 in Chanthaburi and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $422 in Chanthaburi versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chanthaburi runs roughly 170% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $598 in Chanthaburi versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $883 in Chanthaburi versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chanthaburi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chanthaburi 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, Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.