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: $1,572 in Curridabat versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,429 in Curridabat versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,287 in Curridabat versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Curridabat is roughly 25% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Curridabat is 17% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 ₡4,904

$4.56 ฿149

137.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡27.0K

$46.63 ฿1,519

28.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 ₡4,054

$8.47 ฿276

5.90%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₡1,660

$3.03 ฿98.6

21.12%

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

$2.06 ₡930

$0.69 ฿22.45

198.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ₡665

$0.37 ฿11.92

297.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 ₡1,311

$2.49 ฿81.0

16.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 ₡2,094

$3.66 ฿119

26.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₡921

$2.18 ฿71.0

-6.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 ₡1,297

$1.90 ฿62.0

51.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₡971

$2.20 ฿71.6

-2.27%

Eggs

$3.01 ₡1,359

$2.22 ฿72.4

35.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₡4,433

$19.99 ฿651

-50.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ₡4,166

$3.66 ฿119

151.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.77 ₡6,223

$13.25 ฿432

3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 ₡2,066

$3.23 ฿105

41.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₡660

$1.70 ฿55.3

-14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 ₡1,951

$2.39 ฿78.0

80.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 ₡1,539

$2.08 ฿67.7

63.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 ₡1,584

$1.59 ฿51.8

120.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 ₡1,440

$1.48 ฿48.31

115.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 ₡428

$1.03 ฿33.54

-7.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,311

$0.52 ฿16.83

457.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 ₡2,390

$4.25 ฿138

24.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.81 ₡9,853

$18.79 ฿612

16.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₡1,123

$1.76 ฿57.2

41.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₡1,290

$2.76 ฿89.8

3.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₡452

$1.36 ฿44.32

-26.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡816

$3.14 ฿102

-42.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 ₡836

$1.04 ฿33.74

77.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ₡3,657

$13.77 ฿448

-41.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₡663

$1.34 ฿43.79

9.70%

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

$38.3K ₡17.3M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

38.27%

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

$31.9K ₡14.4M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-5.70%

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

$92.5 ₡41.8K

$124 ฿4,025

-25.14%

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

$26.04 ₡11.8K

$13.52 ฿440

92.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.7K

$18.69 ฿609

216.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 ₡25.8K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-7.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.79 ₡10.8K

$17.25 ฿562

37.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 ₡4,521

$9.14 ฿298

9.52%

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

$568 ₡256.6K

$703 ฿22.9K

-19.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K ₡5.8M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-19.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 ₡27.8K

$59.5 ฿1,937

3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 ₡22.9K

$35.07 ฿1,142

44.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ₡56.0K

$115 ฿3,754

7.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ₡48.0K

$84.1 ฿2,737

26.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 ₡344.2K

$619 ฿20.1K

23.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 ₡274.7K

$433 ฿14.1K

40.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 ₡686.3K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-26.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₡435.2K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-36.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$504 ₡227.6K

$507 ฿16.5K

-0.65%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Curridabat and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 1% 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 $370 vs $293 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 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 1% 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: $762 in Curridabat versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $568 in Curridabat versus $703 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 $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,572 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 25% less than in Curridabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.