Cost of Living Comparison Between Fajardo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Fajardo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,919 in Fajardo versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,137 in Fajardo versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,355 in Fajardo versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Fajardo is roughly 52% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fajardo is 44% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.94 $9.94

$4.48 ฿150

121.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.0 $82.0

$45.59 ฿1,521

79.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 $9.48

$8.76 ฿292

8.22%

Cappuccino

$3.57 $3.57

$2.97 ฿99.0

20.20%

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

$1.75 $1.75

$0.69 ฿22.90

153.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.39 ฿13.04

256.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.53 ฿84.4

20.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.75 ฿125

16.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.15 ฿71.6

17.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.82 ฿60.6

68.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.18 ฿72.9

4.59%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$2.25 ฿75.0

154.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$20.00 ฿667

-74.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$3.63 ฿121

135.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.50 $12.50

$13.56 ฿452

-7.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.24 ฿108

86.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.64 ฿54.6

62.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.33 ฿77.8

64.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.07 ฿69.1

100.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.55 ฿51.6

153.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.46 ฿48.54

101.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$0.98 ฿32.86

212.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.48 ฿16.09

293.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$4.35 ฿145

167.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$18.57 ฿620

-46.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.86 ฿61.9

36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.65 ฿88.6

17.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.03 ฿34.41

49.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.16 $15.16

$13.89 ฿463

9.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.34 ฿44.84

-31.34%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

27.03%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-19.39%

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

$354 $354

$123 ฿4,105

187.41%

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

$77.9 $77.9

$13.77 ฿459

465.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$18.33 ฿611

280.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 $101

$60.7 ฿2,025

65.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$11.90 $11.90

$8.87 ฿296

34.16%

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

$464 $464

$688 ฿22.9K

-32.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-35.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.69 $45.69

$59.3 ฿1,978

-22.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 $57.3

$34.69 ฿1,157

65.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 $89.2

$115 ฿3,843

-22.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$83.8 ฿2,794

24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 $714

$621 ฿20.7K

14.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 $600

$446 ฿14.9K

34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-21.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 $1,603

$1,496 ฿49.9K

7.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.33

3.19%

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

Last update for Fajardo: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $714 in Fajardo and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Fajardo vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 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

Fajardo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Fajardo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,878 in Fajardo and $1,896 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: $714 in Fajardo versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Fajardo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,919 per month in Fajardo versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,919 in Fajardo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Fajardo. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fajardo 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 52% less than in Fajardo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.