Cost of Living Comparison Between Kruje and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kruje and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,098 in Kruje versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,632 in Kruje versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,166 in Kruje versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Kruje costs roughly 13% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kruje 17% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.15 ALL 744

$4.48 ฿150

104.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.36 ALL 2,954

$45.59 ฿1,521

-20.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 ALL 588

$8.76 ฿292

-17.47%

Cappuccino

$1.90 ALL 154

$2.97 ฿99.0

-36.03%

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

$1.65 ALL 134

$0.69 ฿22.90

139.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ALL 70.3

$0.39 ฿13.04

120.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 ALL 188

$2.53 ฿84.4

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ALL 264

$3.75 ฿125

-13.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ALL 166

$2.15 ฿71.6

-5.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ALL 75.4

$1.82 ฿60.6

-48.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 ALL 159

$2.18 ฿72.9

-10.09%

Eggs

$2.95 ALL 240

$2.25 ฿75.0

31.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 ALL 790

$20.00 ฿667

-51.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 ALL 633

$3.63 ฿121

114.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 ALL 1,086

$13.56 ฿452

-1.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 ALL 140

$3.24 ฿108

-46.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 ALL 201

$1.64 ฿54.6

51.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ALL 142

$2.33 ฿77.8

-24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 107

$2.07 ฿69.1

-36.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ALL 86.1

$1.55 ฿51.6

-31.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ALL 96.6

$1.46 ฿48.54

-18.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ALL 89.9

$0.98 ฿32.86

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ALL 63.4

$0.48 ฿16.09

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ALL 337

$4.35 ฿145

-4.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 ALL 802

$18.57 ฿620

-46.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ALL 133

$1.86 ฿61.9

-11.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ALL 142

$2.65 ฿88.6

-34.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.75

$1.42 ฿47.28

-65.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.90 ALL 1,536

$11.57 ฿386

63.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 ALL 276

$3.17 ฿106

7.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 ALL 256

$1.03 ฿34.41

205.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.61 ALL 1,431

$13.89 ฿463

26.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 ALL 175

$1.34 ฿44.84

61.19%

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

$34.7K ALL 2.8M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

24.73%

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

$25.3K ALL 2.1M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-24.29%

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

$66.2 ALL 5,379

$123 ฿4,105

-46.20%

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

$17.23 ALL 1,400

$13.77 ฿459

25.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.90 ALL 1,292

$18.33 ฿611

-13.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ALL 4,398

$60.7 ฿2,025

-10.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.39 ALL 2,063

$17.16 ฿573

47.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 ALL 651

$8.87 ฿296

-9.70%

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

$162 ALL 13.1K

$688 ฿22.9K

-76.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,677 ALL 461.3K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-64.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.36 ALL 3,766

$59.3 ฿1,978

-21.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.90 ALL 4,054

$34.69 ฿1,157

43.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 ALL 7,721

$115 ฿3,843

-17.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ALL 10.5K

$83.8 ฿2,794

54.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 ALL 36.2K

$621 ฿20.7K

-28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ALL 28.2K

$446 ฿14.9K

-22.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 ALL 50.5K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-69.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 ALL 35.4K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-70.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 ALL 155.2K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-44.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,259 ALL 102.3K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-50.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 ALL 52.8K

$494 ฿16.5K

31.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-24.95%

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

Last update for Kruje: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $446 in Kruje and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kruje pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Kruje vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $291 per month, with Kruje 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

Kruje vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kruje and Phuket differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,098 vs $1,264 including rent). Kruje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Kruje, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $446 in Kruje versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,098 per month in Kruje versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kruje runs roughly 63% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,098 in Kruje versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kruje but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kruje 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, Kruje 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 Kruje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.