Cost of Living Comparison Between Contenda and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Contenda and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $840 per month in Contenda vs $1,253 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,314 per month in Contenda vs $2,043 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,788 per month in Contenda vs $2,833 in Phuket, rent included.

Contenda is about 33% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Contenda and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Contenda 39% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 R$19.48

$4.56 ฿150

-16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.37 R$58.2

$32.62 ฿1,072

-65.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 R$38.79

$8.90 ฿293

-14.94%

Cappuccino

$2.30 R$11.77

$2.80 ฿92.2

-17.86%

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

$1.27 R$6.53

$0.88 ฿28.93

44.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 R$2.89

$0.49 ฿16.08

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 R$9.73

$2.39 ฿78.5

-20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 R$9.73

$3.71 ฿122

-48.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.10

$1.79 ฿58.7

-44.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 R$7.68

$1.44 ฿47.38

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.42

$1.58 ฿52.1

-20.89%

Eggs

$2.43 R$12.47

$2.13 ฿69.9

14.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 R$46.93

$19.92 ฿655

-54.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.82 R$19.56

$3.43 ฿113

11.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 R$40.06

$11.33 ฿372

-30.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 R$11.93

$2.95 ฿96.9

-21.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.01

$1.72 ฿56.6

-31.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.85

$2.32 ฿76.4

-50.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.09

$2.08 ฿68.4

-33.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.11

$1.47 ฿48.33

-31.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.65

$1.36 ฿44.64

-33.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.81

$1.10 ฿36.12

-32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.69

$0.57 ฿18.89

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 R$15.12

$4.27 ฿140

-30.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.83 R$19.61

$18.42 ฿605

-79.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 R$7.60

$1.87 ฿61.5

-20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R$10.03

$2.92 ฿96.0

-32.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.99

$2.22 ฿72.9

-56.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.98 R$220

$22.90 ฿753

87.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R$5.85

$3.03 ฿99.6

-62.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 R$5.10

$1.07 ฿35.31

-6.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.55 R$48.93

$3.93 ฿129

143.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.81

$1.49 ฿49.04

-24.16%

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

$17.4K R$89.1K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

-35.90%

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

$21.6K R$110.8K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

-21.21%

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

$83.1 R$426

$103 ฿3,379

-19.21%

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

$7.71 R$39.49

$10.99 ฿361

-29.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.23 R$98.5

$17.51 ฿576

9.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.02 R$128

$53.5 ฿1,760

-53.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.80 R$137

$11.20 ฿368

139.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.79 R$39.89

$7.48 ฿246

4.14%

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

$292 R$1,496

$557 ฿18.3K

-47.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K R$53.0K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-12.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 R$325

$64.1 ฿2,106

-1.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 R$350

$29.07 ฿956

135.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 R$549

$96.0 ฿3,154

11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.6 R$341

$90.3 ฿2,970

-26.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 R$1,816

$730 ฿24.0K

-51.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 R$1,136

$500 ฿16.4K

-55.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 R$3,675

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-65.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 R$2,392

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-61.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,545 R$7,916

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-57.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,077 R$5,518

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-57.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.61

5.57

90.48%

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

Last update for Contenda: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $354 in Contenda versus $730 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Contenda versus $33.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $273 – making Contenda 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

Contenda vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 49% more than Contenda, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,260 per month in Contenda and $1,880 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contenda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $292 per month in Contenda and $557 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contenda, where all-in costs run around $840, than in Phuket at $1,253. In Contenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Contenda costs $840 versus $1,253 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Contenda. 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.