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: $1,318 in Jaco Beach versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,123 in Jaco Beach versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,928 in Jaco Beach versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Jaco Beach is roughly 6% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jaco Beach 2% lower, Phuket 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.98 ₡3,189

$4.59 ฿147

52.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.46 ₡18.0K

$46.83 ฿1,501

-15.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 ₡4,162

$8.70 ฿279

4.71%

Cappuccino

$3.95 ₡1,806

$2.92 ฿93.7

35.27%

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

$1.53 ₡701

$0.68 ฿21.92

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₡422

$0.40 ฿12.70

130.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 ₡1,345

$2.51 ฿80.4

17.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,324

$3.80 ฿122

-23.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ₡635

$2.16 ฿69.3

-35.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ₡917

$1.88 ฿60.3

6.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₡983

$2.16 ฿69.2

-0.46%

Eggs

$2.42 ₡1,108

$2.22 ฿71.2

9.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 ₡4,421

$19.57 ฿627

-50.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 ₡3,819

$3.80 ฿122

120.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 ₡5,072

$13.41 ฿430

-17.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 ₡2,108

$3.26 ฿104

41.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₡696

$1.61 ฿51.7

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 ₡1,884

$2.31 ฿74.0

78.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 ₡1,437

$2.06 ฿66.0

52.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ₡632

$1.61 ฿51.5

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ₡610

$1.44 ฿46.26

-7.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 ₡408

$1.03 ฿33.01

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₡812

$0.48 ฿15.39

270.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 ₡2,353

$4.50 ฿144

14.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 ₡6,365

$19.18 ฿615

-27.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₡1,106

$1.82 ฿58.4

32.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₡901

$2.69 ฿86.2

-26.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₡458

$1.38 ฿44.16

-27.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₡857

$3.11 ฿99.6

-39.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 ₡827

$1.00 ฿32.18

81.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 ₡3,637

$13.74 ฿441

-42.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₡673

$1.30 ฿41.61

13.08%

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

$37.9K ₡17.3M

$27.4K ฿877.0K

38.56%

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

$31.9K ₡14.6M

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-3.34%

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

$71.0 ₡32.4K

$125 ฿4,004

-43.16%

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

$22.01 ₡10.1K

$13.74 ฿440

60.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.16 ₡19.3K

$18.61 ฿597

126.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.47 ₡21.7K

$60.6 ฿1,941

-21.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.05 ₡11.0K

$17.15 ฿550

40.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 ₡4,567

$9.01 ฿289

10.99%

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

$444 ₡202.7K

$698 ฿22.4K

-36.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,662 ₡3.0M

$16.1K ฿516.5K

-58.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 ₡28.0K

$59.2 ฿1,898

3.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 ₡23.1K

$34.86 ฿1,118

44.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 ₡57.1K

$114 ฿3,662

9.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡49.6K

$85.8 ฿2,751

26.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 ₡249.8K

$619 ฿19.8K

-11.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₡225.6K

$437 ฿14.0K

13.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 ₡864.7K

$2,075 ฿66.5K

-8.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 ₡475.4K

$1,509 ฿48.4K

-31.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$397 ₡181.3K

$528 ฿16.9K

-24.91%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $547 in Jaco Beach and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39 in Jaco Beach vs $47 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 33% less. 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: $547 in Jaco Beach versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $444 in Jaco Beach versus $698 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 $47.00 versus $39.00 in Jaco Beach. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,318 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 6% less than in Jaco Beach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.