Cost of Living Comparison Between Drama and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Drama and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,211 in Drama versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,784 in Drama versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,356 in Drama versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Drama costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Drama 11% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 €13.00

$4.41 ฿147

238.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.51 €39.67

$32.26 ฿1,077

41.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 €9.02

$8.93 ฿298

15.90%

Cappuccino

$2.67 €2.32

$2.90 ฿96.6

-7.93%

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

$2.85 €2.48

$0.88 ฿29.38

223.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.64

$0.48 ฿16.06

52.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.97

$2.35 ฿78.5

45.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$3.72 ฿124

21.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 €1.41

$1.87 ฿62.3

-13.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.47 ฿48.94

6.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.55 ฿51.8

-27.10%

Eggs

$5.36 €4.67

$2.10 ฿70.1

155.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 €10.37

$19.59 ฿654

-39.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.20

$3.42 ฿114

175.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 €12.85

$11.38 ฿380

29.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 €1.24

$2.98 ฿99.6

-52.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.68 ฿56.2

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.21 ฿73.7

-47.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.16 ฿72.1

4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 €0.82

$1.52 ฿50.9

-38.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.34 ฿44.67

-10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.13 ฿37.67

36.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.68

$0.55 ฿18.24

41.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 €4.62

$4.26 ฿142

24.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 €4.51

$19.09 ฿637

-72.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.87

$1.78 ฿59.4

-43.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.78 ฿92.9

-29.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 €3.69

$3.03 ฿101

39.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.02 ฿34.15

10.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.04 €14.85

$3.89 ฿130

338.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.86

$1.49 ฿49.77

43.62%

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

$28.7K €25.0K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

7.80%

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

$30.6K €26.7K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

13.24%

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

$196 €171

$102 ฿3,420

91.52%

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

$24.19 €21.08

$11.33 ฿378

113.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.31 €26.42

$17.40 ฿581

74.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.25 €40.32

$52.1 ฿1,738

-11.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 €6.86

$7.69 ฿257

2.34%

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

$494 €430

$561 ฿18.7K

-11.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,398 €8,192

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-18.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €87.2

$63.0 ฿2,104

58.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.31 €20.32

$29.52 ฿986

-21.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 €56.4

$98.0 ฿3,272

-34.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 €61.5

$88.5 ฿2,954

-20.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$323 €281

$738 ฿24.6K

-56.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 €269

$482 ฿16.1K

-36.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 €450

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-75.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 €367

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-65.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,570 €1,368

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-56.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,343 €2,914

$2,603 ฿86.9K

28.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,194 €1,041

$494 ฿16.5K

141.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.4

5.57

-21.01%

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

Last update for Drama: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $323 in Drama and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drama pays 142% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Drama vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $274, with Drama cheaper for home cooking.

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

Drama vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drama is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 142% higher in Drama, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $323 in Drama versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Drama versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Drama – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,211 in Drama versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Drama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Drama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Drama 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 Drama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.