Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Lat and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Lat: $611 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Da Lat
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Da Lat Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Da Lat

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$611

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Lat and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Da Lat and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $611 in Da Lat versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Da Lat $611
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $914 in Da Lat versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Da Lat $914
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,218 in Da Lat versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Da Lat $1,218
Phuket $2,867

Living in Da Lat costs roughly 49% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Da Lat 55% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.20 ₫57.0K

$4.58 ฿153

-51.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.43 ₫399.6K

$32.48 ฿1,086

-52.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ₫134.8K

$8.55 ฿286

-39.06%

Cappuccino

$1.61 ₫41.6K

$2.72 ฿91.0

-40.81%

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

$0.59 ₫15.2K

$0.94 ฿31.25

-37.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₫7,960

$0.49 ฿16.39

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ₫22.2K

$2.59 ฿86.6

-66.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₫39.4K

$3.83 ฿128

-60.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₫39.1K

$1.74 ฿58.1

-13.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ₫33.8K

$1.43 ฿47.82

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.2K

$1.53 ฿51.0

-23.53%

Eggs

$1.62 ₫42.1K

$2.17 ฿72.7

-25.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.80 ₫202.0K

$19.15 ฿640

-59.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 ₫103.9K

$3.30 ฿110

21.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 ₫117.8K

$11.14 ฿372

-59.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 ₫106.4K

$2.95 ฿98.5

39.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₫47.4K

$1.68 ฿56.1

8.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 ₫83.1K

$2.30 ฿76.8

39.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₫40.0K

$2.13 ฿71.3

-27.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 ₫45.5K

$1.53 ฿51.1

15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.1K

$1.36 ฿45.55

19.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.12 ฿37.44

-33.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.55 ฿18.24

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 ₫43.5K

$4.26 ฿142

-60.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 ₫199.5K

$18.19 ฿608

-57.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₫11.4K

$1.74 ฿58.2

-74.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₫53.5K

$2.79 ฿93.3

-25.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₫9,514

$2.22 ฿74.1

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$2.91 ฿97.3

-79.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 ₫29.0K

$1.01 ฿33.79

10.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₫21.9K

$1.49 ฿49.85

-42.95%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

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

$39.69 ₫1.0M

$99.4 ฿3,321

-60.06%

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

$4.27 ₫110.6K

$11.28 ฿377

-62.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.92 ₫386.3K

$17.36 ฿580

-14.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.46 ₫322.6K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-76.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$1.99 ₫51.4K

$7.57 ฿253

-73.71%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₫7.3M

$729 ฿24.4K

-61.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ₫7.1M

$460 ฿15.4K

-39.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ₫16.1M

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-70.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 ₫12.0M

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-61.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$436 ₫11.3M

$493 ฿16.5K

-11.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Da Lat: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Da Lat

$276 45.2%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 66.6% $184

Groceries & Markets

Da Lat

$188 30.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 42.2% $79

Eating Out

Da Lat

$63 10.4%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 91.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Lat

$59 9.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 117% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Da Lat

$16 2.7%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 310% $51

Getting Around

Da Lat

$7.7 * 1.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 406% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Da Lat

- * 0%

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Da Lat and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $15.00 in Da Lat vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $268 per month, with Da Lat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Lat

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:36 7:36 AM

Same time as Da Lat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

258,014

79,308

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Lat Phuket 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Da Lat
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Da Lat vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Da Lat and Phuket differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($611 vs $1,207 including rent). Da Lat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Phuket. 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: $281 in Da Lat versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Da Lat – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $611 per month in Da Lat versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $611 in Da Lat versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Da Lat but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Da Lat 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, Da Lat 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 Da Lat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.