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: $1,456 in Jaco Beach versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,288 in Jaco Beach versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,120 in Jaco Beach versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Jaco Beach is roughly 15% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jaco Beach is 6% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.65 ₡5,213

$4.66 ฿154

150.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 ₡19.9K

$32.22 ฿1,065

38.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.67 ₡4,329

$8.68 ฿287

11.41%

Cappuccino

$4.06 ₡1,819

$2.90 ฿95.8

40.00%

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

$2.41 ₡1,078

$0.84 ฿27.89

186.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₡838

$0.49 ฿16.16

281.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 ₡1,447

$2.48 ฿82.0

30.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 ₡1,920

$3.73 ฿123

15.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 ₡882

$1.89 ฿62.3

4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 ₡996

$1.41 ฿46.54

57.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 ₡1,112

$1.62 ฿53.6

53.09%

Eggs

$2.63 ₡1,178

$2.24 ฿74.1

17.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 ₡4,751

$19.84 ฿656

-46.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 ₡4,008

$3.48 ฿115

157.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 ₡5,432

$11.37 ฿376

6.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 ₡2,211

$2.90 ฿95.8

70.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡701

$1.72 ฿57.0

-8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.56 ₡2,041

$2.27 ฿75.1

100.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 ₡1,592

$2.13 ฿70.4

67.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ₡692

$1.47 ฿48.72

5.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ₡659

$1.42 ฿46.92

3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 ₡426

$1.10 ฿36.25

-13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡860

$0.60 ฿19.76

220.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 ₡2,601

$4.31 ฿142

34.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 ₡6,314

$18.60 ฿615

-24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,168

$1.80 ฿59.5

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₡996

$2.97 ฿98.0

-25.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 ₡1,078

$3.10 ฿102

-22.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡730

$1.08 ฿35.56

50.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.66 ₡3,875

$3.87 ฿128

123.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ₡683

$1.43 ฿47.16

6.99%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-19.68%

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

$34.8K ₡15.6M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

29.05%

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

$79.9 ₡35.8K

$105 ฿3,462

-23.73%

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

$24.02 ₡10.7K

$11.39 ฿376

110.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.07 ₡21.1K

$17.54 ฿580

168.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 ₡24.1K

$54.3 ฿1,795

-0.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$8.19 ₡3,663

$7.78 ฿257

5.27%

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

$483 ₡216.1K

$576 ฿19.0K

-16.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,329 ₡3.3M

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-36.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.95 ₡11.2K

$63.6 ฿2,103

-60.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 ₡25.5K

$29.10 ฿961

95.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.1K

$96.2 ฿3,179

34.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 ₡59.0K

$90.0 ฿2,974

46.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 ₡345.0K

$733 ฿24.2K

5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₡238.6K

$501 ฿16.5K

6.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 ₡892.8K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-6.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 ₡498.6K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-11.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$405 ₡181.3K

$508 ฿16.8K

-20.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

5.57

57.63%

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

Last update for Jaco Beach: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $771 in Jaco Beach and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 25% 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 Jaco Beach vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $275 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

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, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 25% 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: $771 in Jaco Beach versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $483 in Jaco Beach versus $576 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 $32.00 versus $45.00 in Jaco Beach. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,456 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 15% less than in Jaco Beach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.