Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaco Beach and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaco Beach and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,344 in Jaco Beach versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,155 in Jaco Beach versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,967 in Jaco Beach versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Jaco Beach is roughly 7% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jaco Beach is 1% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 ₡3,242

$4.53 ฿153

58.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.16 ₡18.1K

$46.36 ฿1,567

-13.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 ₡4,006

$8.65 ฿292

2.66%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ₡1,740

$3.09 ฿104

24.92%

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

$1.58 ₡711

$0.68 ฿22.93

132.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₡449

$0.37 ฿12.46

167.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 ₡1,322

$2.42 ฿81.7

21.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,304

$3.81 ฿129

-24.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ₡628

$2.18 ฿73.6

-36.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 ₡894

$1.82 ฿61.4

8.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₡971

$2.18 ฿73.6

-1.38%

Eggs

$2.43 ₡1,095

$2.24 ฿75.6

8.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₡4,527

$19.93 ฿674

-49.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 ₡3,745

$3.64 ฿123

128.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ₡4,853

$13.56 ฿459

-20.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 ₡2,057

$3.29 ฿111

38.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₡648

$1.69 ฿57.0

-14.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 ₡1,936

$2.33 ฿78.9

84.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 ₡1,404

$2.03 ฿68.5

53.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.60 ฿54.1

-15.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.49 ฿50.5

-9.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ₡411

$1.01 ฿34.23

-9.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₡783

$0.48 ฿16.12

262.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.33 ₡2,406

$4.45 ฿150

19.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 ₡6,387

$18.63 ฿630

-23.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₡1,054

$1.79 ฿60.4

30.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡877

$2.80 ฿94.5

-30.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₡457

$1.42 ฿47.99

-28.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿383

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₡839

$3.09 ฿105

-39.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 ₡806

$1.04 ฿35.25

72.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 ₡3,474

$13.63 ฿461

-43.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₡638

$1.31 ฿44.31

7.63%

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

$37.6K ₡17.0M

$27.3K ฿922.3K

37.90%

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

$32.8K ₡14.8M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-1.23%

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

$72.8 ₡32.8K

$123 ฿4,164

-40.90%

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

$21.44 ₡9,672

$13.81 ฿467

55.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.10 ₡19.4K

$18.52 ฿626

132.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.12 ₡21.3K

$60.4 ฿2,041

-21.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.97 ₡10.8K

$16.80 ฿568

42.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 ₡4,364

$8.89 ฿301

8.89%

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

$446 ₡201.0K

$687 ฿23.2K

-35.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,679 ₡3.0M

$15.6K ฿525.7K

-57.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 ₡28.2K

$57.6 ฿1,949

8.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 ₡22.8K

$34.66 ฿1,172

45.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.3K

$115 ฿3,885

10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡48.2K

$84.9 ฿2,871

25.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 ₡248.7K

$618 ฿20.9K

-10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₡227.0K

$443 ฿15.0K

13.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 ₡838.6K

$2,047 ฿69.2K

-9.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 ₡459.0K

$1,506 ฿50.9K

-32.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$396 ₡178.4K

$503 ฿17.0K

-21.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

5.33

90.81%

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

Last update for Jaco Beach: July 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $551 in Jaco Beach and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Jaco Beach vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $292, with Phuket 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

Jaco Beach vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $551 in Jaco Beach versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $446 in Jaco Beach versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $40.00 in Jaco Beach. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,344 in Jaco Beach, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Jaco Beach. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Jaco Beach 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 7% less than in Jaco Beach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.