Cost of Living Comparison Between Green Island and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Green Island and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $899 in Green Island versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,446 in Green Island versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,994 in Green Island versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Green Island costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Green Island 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.68 JMD 1,208

$4.56 ฿150

68.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 JMD 9,878

$46.63 ฿1,535

34.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.72 JMD 1,372

$8.47 ฿279

2.95%

Cappuccino

$4.42 JMD 695

$3.03 ฿99.7

45.87%

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

$1.31 JMD 207

$0.69 ฿22.69

89.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 JMD 119

$0.37 ฿12.04

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 JMD 391

$2.49 ฿81.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 504

$3.66 ฿120

-12.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.36 JMD 686

$2.18 ฿71.8

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 JMD 577

$1.90 ฿62.6

93.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 JMD 244

$2.20 ฿72.4

-29.55%

Eggs

$3.57 JMD 562

$2.22 ฿73.2

60.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 JMD 1,771

$19.99 ฿658

-43.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 JMD 1,013

$3.66 ฿121

75.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 JMD 1,206

$13.25 ฿436

-42.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 JMD 927

$3.23 ฿106

82.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 JMD 486

$1.70 ฿55.9

81.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 JMD 662

$2.39 ฿78.8

76.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 JMD 455

$2.08 ฿68.4

38.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 JMD 331

$1.59 ฿52.4

32.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 JMD 317

$1.48 ฿48.83

35.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 JMD 493

$1.03 ฿33.90

203.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 228

$0.52 ฿17.01

178.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.83 JMD 1,389

$4.25 ฿140

107.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.34 JMD 1,784

$18.79 ฿618

-39.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 437

$1.76 ฿57.8

57.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 JMD 480

$2.76 ฿90.8

10.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 JMD 168

$3.14 ฿103

-65.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 JMD 512

$1.04 ฿34.10

212.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 JMD 970

$13.77 ฿453

-55.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 JMD 203

$1.34 ฿44.26

-3.73%

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

$42.3K JMD 6.7M

$27.7K ฿911.1K

52.84%

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

$33.3K JMD 5.2M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-1.77%

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

$165 JMD 25.9K

$124 ฿4,069

33.37%

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

$22.16 JMD 3,486

$13.52 ฿445

63.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.98 JMD 7,862

$18.69 ฿615

167.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 JMD 2,055

$9.14 ฿301

43.00%

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

$224 JMD 35.3K

$703 ฿23.1K

-68.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,478 JMD 389.7K

$15.9K ฿522.5K

-84.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.45 JMD 4,160

$59.5 ฿1,958

-55.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.69 JMD 4,041

$35.07 ฿1,154

-26.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 JMD 11.0K

$115 ฿3,795

-39.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.3 JMD 11.8K

$84.1 ฿2,767

-10.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

5.33

71.67%

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

Last update for Green Island: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Green Island vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $293 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

Green Island vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Green Island and Phuket differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($899 vs $1,261 including rent). Green Island is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,348 in Green Island and $1,892 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.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $899 per month in Green Island versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $899 in Green Island versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Green Island but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Green Island the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Green Island 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 Green Island gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.