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: $1,213 in Drama versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,798 in Drama versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,383 in Drama versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Drama costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Drama 9% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.10 €11.34

$4.48 ฿150

192.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.16 €39.11

$45.59 ฿1,521

-0.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 €8.00

$8.76 ฿292

5.37%

Cappuccino

$2.70 €2.34

$2.97 ฿99.0

-9.09%

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

$1.61 €1.40

$0.69 ฿22.90

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.52

$0.39 ฿13.04

56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$2.53 ฿84.4

35.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 €4.07

$3.75 ฿125

25.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.15 ฿71.6

-31.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.40

$1.82 ฿60.6

-10.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 €0.98

$2.18 ฿72.9

-48.17%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.50

$2.25 ฿75.0

79.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 €10.16

$20.00 ฿667

-41.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.36

$3.63 ฿121

165.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.32 €11.54

$13.56 ฿452

-1.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 €1.22

$3.24 ฿108

-56.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.64 ฿54.6

-9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.33 ฿77.8

-53.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.07 ฿69.1

-3.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 €0.82

$1.55 ฿51.6

-38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.46 ฿48.54

-13.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 €0.87

$0.98 ฿32.86

2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 €0.42

$0.48 ฿16.09

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 €4.49

$4.35 ฿145

19.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 €4.47

$18.57 ฿620

-72.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$1.86 ฿61.9

-47.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.65 ฿88.6

-25.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.42 ฿47.28

8.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.41 €40.19

$11.57 ฿386

301.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.33 €6.35

$3.17 ฿106

131.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.80 €11.95

$13.89 ฿463

-0.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.34 ฿44.84

50.00%

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

$34.4K €29.7K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

23.61%

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

$29.5K €25.5K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-11.67%

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

$179 €155

$123 ฿4,105

45.62%

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

$23.90 €20.70

$13.77 ฿459

73.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.67 €27.43

$18.33 ฿611

72.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 €33.04

$60.7 ฿2,025

-37.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 €22.42

$17.16 ฿573

50.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 €6.84

$8.87 ฿296

-11.05%

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

$525 €455

$688 ฿22.9K

-23.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,566 €4,820

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-64.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €96.9

$59.3 ฿1,978

88.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.60 €20.44

$34.69 ฿1,157

-31.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.8 €54.4

$115 ฿3,843

-45.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.2 €59.1

$83.8 ฿2,794

-18.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$315 €273

$621 ฿20.7K

-49.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 €269

$446 ฿14.9K

-30.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 €453

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-74.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 €369

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-71.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,534 €1,328

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-55.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,365 €2,914

$2,531 ฿84.4K

32.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,153 €998

$494 ฿16.5K

133.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

5.33

-18.57%

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

Last update for Drama: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $315 in Drama and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drama pays 134% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Drama vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $291 per month, with Drama 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

Drama vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drama is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 134% 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: $315 in Drama versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Drama runs roughly 301% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $525 in Drama versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,213 in Drama versus $1,264 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.