Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Lanta and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Lanta: $926 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Koh Lanta
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Koh Lanta Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Koh Lanta

🇹🇭 Thailand

$926

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Lanta and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Koh Lanta and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $926 in Koh Lanta versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Koh Lanta $926
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,533 in Koh Lanta versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Koh Lanta $1,533
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,140 in Koh Lanta versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Koh Lanta $2,140
Phuket $2,845

Living in Koh Lanta costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Lanta 32% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.69 ฿123

$4.40 ฿147

-16.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.60 ฿856

$32.26 ฿1,078

-20.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 ฿229

$8.76 ฿293

-21.92%

Cappuccino

$2.17 ฿72.4

$2.83 ฿94.5

-23.32%

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

$0.71 ฿23.88

$0.90 ฿30.14

-21.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.47 ฿15.56

-17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 ฿68.5

$2.55 ฿85.2

-19.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.83 ฿128

-21.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.70

$1.73 ฿57.7

-13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ฿42.06

$1.47 ฿49.11

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.51 ฿50.6

-5.96%

Eggs

$1.90 ฿63.3

$2.17 ฿72.7

-12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 ฿587

$19.70 ฿658

-10.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.34 ฿112

-9.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 ฿335

$11.16 ฿373

-10.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 ฿89.9

$2.85 ฿95.1

-5.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$1.70 ฿56.9

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ฿67.2

$2.19 ฿73.3

-8.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 ฿64.4

$2.05 ฿68.4

-5.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.84

$1.45 ฿48.57

-9.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.12

$1.38 ฿46.16

-13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ฿32.05

$1.07 ฿35.69

-10.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.52

$0.51 ฿16.91

-9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 ฿129

$4.26 ฿142

-9.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.97 ฿567

$18.58 ฿621

-8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 ฿52.5

$1.78 ฿59.7

-11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ฿87.3

$2.85 ฿95.2

-8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$2.26 ฿75.6

-23.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 ฿81.5

$3.01 ฿101

-18.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ฿29.02

$1.06 ฿35.34

-17.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 ฿100

$3.86 ฿129

-22.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ฿39.53

$1.45 ฿48.45

-18.62%

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

$21.1K ฿703.8K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-20.02%

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

$21.7K ฿723.6K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-19.64%

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

$92.0 ฿3,073

$96.4 ฿3,221

-4.60%

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

$10.61 ฿355

$11.04 ฿369

-3.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.26 ฿543

$17.14 ฿573

-5.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.01 ฿1,504

$52.2 ฿1,744

-13.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.18 ฿307

$11.16 ฿373

-17.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.36 ฿213

$7.81 ฿261

-18.57%

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

$505 ฿16.9K

$556 ฿18.6K

-9.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ฿350.0K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-9.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 ฿2,016

$64.2 ฿2,146

-6.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.86 ฿898

$28.69 ฿959

-6.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 ฿3,025

$95.4 ฿3,187

-5.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 ฿2,795

$88.0 ฿2,940

-4.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ฿14.7K

$737 ฿24.6K

-40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ฿9,358

$462 ฿15.5K

-39.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 ฿42.1K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-39.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.5K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-38.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,074 ฿69.3K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-40.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,493 ฿49.9K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-40.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Koh Lanta: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Koh Lanta

$280 30.2%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 65.1% $182

Groceries & Markets

Koh Lanta

$242 26.1%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 11.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Lanta

$119 12.8%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 4.8% $5.7

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Lanta

$118 12.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 5.7% $6.7

Eating Out

Koh Lanta

$97 10.4%

Phuket

$121 10% 25.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Lanta

$58 6.2%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 17.4% $10

Getting Around

Koh Lanta

$14 * 1.5%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 187% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Koh Lanta and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Koh Lanta vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $269 per month, with Koh Lanta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Lanta

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

Same time as Koh Lanta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Koh Lanta Phuket 78 km

From you

Koh Lanta
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Koh Lanta vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Lanta and Phuket differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($926 vs $1,208 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,389 in Koh Lanta and $1,813 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: $440 in Koh Lanta versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $505 in Koh Lanta versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Lanta – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $926 in Koh Lanta versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Lanta but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Lanta 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, Koh Lanta 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 Koh Lanta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.