Cost of Living Comparison Between Curridabat and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Curridabat and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,620 in Curridabat versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,444 in Curridabat versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,268 in Curridabat versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Curridabat is roughly 32% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Curridabat is 21% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.16 ₡5,074

$4.63 ฿151

141.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 ₡27.3K

$46.84 ฿1,532

28.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 ₡3,988

$8.84 ฿289

-0.79%

Cappuccino

$3.64 ₡1,654

$3.00 ฿98.0

21.33%

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

$1.99 ₡905

$0.74 ฿24.25

168.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ₡683

$0.37 ฿11.95

305.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 ₡1,342

$2.44 ฿79.8

20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 ₡2,107

$3.61 ฿118

28.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₡892

$2.26 ฿73.9

-13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 ₡1,302

$1.84 ฿60.1

55.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 ₡974

$2.24 ฿73.4

-4.46%

Eggs

$3.02 ₡1,374

$2.32 ฿75.7

30.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 ₡4,625

$19.67 ฿643

-48.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 ₡4,259

$3.65 ฿119

156.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.77 ₡6,262

$13.10 ฿428

5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 ₡2,003

$3.39 ฿111

29.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₡665

$1.64 ฿53.7

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 ₡1,904

$2.41 ฿79.0

73.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,559

$2.03 ฿66.4

68.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 ₡1,610

$1.56 ฿50.9

126.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 ₡1,434

$1.50 ฿48.94

110.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₡456

$1.02 ฿33.50

-1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,279

$0.49 ฿16.00

473.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.24 ₡2,384

$4.45 ฿145

17.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.12 ₡10.1K

$18.88 ฿617

17.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₡1,129

$1.78 ฿58.1

39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₡1,311

$2.75 ฿90.1

4.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ₡443

$1.40 ฿45.81

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₡853

$3.12 ฿102

-39.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ₡844

$1.00 ฿32.67

86.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 ₡3,662

$14.09 ฿461

-42.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₡638

$1.35 ฿44.19

3.70%

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

$38.4K ₡17.5M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

41.21%

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

$32.2K ₡14.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-2.10%

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

$92.3 ₡42.0K

$125 ฿4,087

-26.18%

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

$26.04 ₡11.8K

$13.57 ฿444

91.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 ₡27.0K

$18.52 ฿606

220.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 ₡26.3K

$61.5 ฿2,010

-5.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.22 ₡11.0K

$16.84 ฿551

43.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 ₡4,606

$9.19 ฿300

10.23%

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

$562 ₡255.4K

$698 ฿22.8K

-19.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K ₡5.8M

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-17.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ₡28.6K

$57.8 ฿1,889

9.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 ₡23.8K

$35.24 ฿1,152

48.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.9K

$113 ฿3,699

12.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡49.8K

$86.4 ฿2,825

26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 ₡344.5K

$616 ฿20.1K

23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₡268.0K

$446 ฿14.6K

32.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 ₡694.3K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-25.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 ₡433.9K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-36.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ₡227.3K

$524 ฿17.1K

-4.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

5.33

90.81%

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

Last update for Curridabat: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $758 in Curridabat and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Curridabat vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $292 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

Curridabat vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 5% 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: $758 in Curridabat versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $562 in Curridabat versus $698 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 $47.00 versus $60.0 in Curridabat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,620 in Curridabat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Curridabat. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Curridabat, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Curridabat 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 32% less than in Curridabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.