Cost of Living Comparison Between Dorado and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Dorado and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Dorado versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,192 in Dorado versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,917 in Dorado versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Dorado is roughly 16% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dorado is 9% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.91 $18.91

$4.66 ฿150

305.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$46.44 ฿1,496

73.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.79 $9.79

$8.68 ฿280

12.79%

Cappuccino

$3.53 $3.53

$2.95 ฿95.0

19.66%

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

$1.69 $1.69

$0.70 ฿22.52

141.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.39 ฿12.70

253.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.53 ฿81.6

20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.78 ฿122

16.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.22 ฿71.5

9.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.80 ฿57.8

99.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.19 ฿70.4

-0.91%

Eggs

$6.13 $6.13

$2.31 ฿74.5

165.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$19.34 ฿623

-53.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.50 $8.50

$3.77 ฿121

125.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$13.22 ฿426

-3.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.84 $5.84

$3.33 ฿107

75.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.65 ฿53.1

66.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.29 ฿73.7

71.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.99 ฿64.1

99.50%

Potato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.53 ฿49.24

166.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.51 ฿48.77

103.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.03 ฿33.12

198.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.51 ฿16.57

284.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.08 $12.08

$4.41 ฿142

173.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.68 $15.68

$19.41 ฿625

-19.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.80 ฿58.0

36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.68 ฿86.4

22.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.04 ฿97.9

64.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.04 ฿33.37

47.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.70 $14.70

$13.68 ฿441

7.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.30 ฿41.85

-29.23%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

27.84%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-18.10%

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

$485 $485

$123 ฿3,962

294.60%

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

$28.32 $28.32

$13.82 ฿445

104.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$18.86 ฿608

254.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 $59.2

$61.2 ฿1,970

-3.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 $10.17

$8.87 ฿286

14.66%

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

$306 $306

$696 ฿22.4K

-56.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,044 $5,044

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-68.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.39 $45.39

$59.3 ฿1,910

-23.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 $56.6

$34.85 ฿1,123

62.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 $90.3

$113 ฿3,646

-20.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$85.1 ฿2,740

22.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 $1,312

$615 ฿19.8K

113.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 $1,824

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 $2,014

$1,496 ฿48.2K

34.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

5.33

7.13%

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

Last update for Dorado: April 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,312 in Dorado and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81 in Dorado vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $291 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

Dorado vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,200 in Dorado and $1,904 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: $1,312 in Dorado versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Dorado versus $696 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 $46.00 versus $81.0 in Dorado. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,467 in Dorado, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Dorado. 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 Dorado, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dorado 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 16% less than in Dorado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.