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: $1,908 in Fajardo versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,155 in Fajardo versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,401 in Fajardo versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Fajardo is roughly 55% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fajardo is 43% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 $10.12

$4.63 ฿151

118.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 $81.7

$46.84 ฿1,532

74.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 $9.37

$8.84 ฿289

6.00%

Cappuccino

$3.54 $3.54

$3.00 ฿98.0

18.00%

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

$1.76 $1.76

$0.74 ฿24.25

137.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.37 ฿11.95

286.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.44 ฿79.8

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.61 ฿118

25.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.26 ฿73.9

6.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.84 ฿60.1

65.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.24 ฿73.4

-1.79%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$2.32 ฿75.7

155.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$19.67 ฿643

-74.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 $8.28

$3.65 ฿119

126.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$13.10 ฿428

-0.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.39 ฿111

73.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.64 ฿53.7

62.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.41 ฿79.0

65.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.03 ฿66.4

95.57%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.56 ฿50.9

162.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.50 ฿48.94

94.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.02 ฿33.50

201.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.49 ฿16.00

306.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 $11.60

$4.45 ฿145

160.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.10 $10.10

$18.88 ฿617

-46.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.78 ฿58.1

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.75 ฿90.1

17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.00 ฿32.67

54.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.79 $14.79

$14.09 ฿461

4.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.35 ฿44.19

-32.59%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

32.30%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-18.59%

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

$350 $350

$125 ฿4,087

180.36%

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

$78.4 $78.4

$13.57 ฿444

477.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$18.52 ฿606

273.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.4 $98.4

$61.5 ฿2,010

60.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 $11.98

$9.19 ฿300

30.36%

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

$467 $467

$698 ฿22.8K

-33.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K $10.5K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-32.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.47 $46.47

$57.8 ฿1,889

-19.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 $56.3

$35.24 ฿1,152

59.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 $92.4

$113 ฿3,699

-18.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$86.4 ฿2,825

21.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 $736

$616 ฿20.1K

19.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 $605

$446 ฿14.6K

35.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-21.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 $1,594

$1,492 ฿48.8K

6.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $736 in Fajardo and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Fajardo vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $292 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 55% 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 $2,862 in Fajardo and $1,847 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: $736 in Fajardo versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Fajardo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,908 per month in Fajardo versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,908 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 $1,232 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 55% less than in Fajardo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.