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: $1,082 in Kruje versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,647 in Kruje versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Kruje versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Kruje costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kruje 19% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.40 ALL 769

$4.63 ฿151

103.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.59 ALL 2,990

$46.84 ฿1,523

-21.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 ALL 564

$8.84 ฿287

-21.95%

Cappuccino

$1.97 ALL 161

$3.00 ฿97.4

-34.33%

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

$1.59 ALL 130

$0.74 ฿24.11

114.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ALL 65.8

$0.37 ฿11.88

116.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ALL 191

$2.44 ฿79.3

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 ALL 265

$3.61 ฿117

-9.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ALL 166

$2.26 ฿73.5

-10.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ALL 76.1

$1.84 ฿59.8

-49.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 ALL 161

$2.24 ฿73.0

-12.05%

Eggs

$3.03 ALL 247

$2.32 ฿75.3

30.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ALL 820

$19.67 ฿639

-48.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.92 ALL 647

$3.65 ฿119

116.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 ALL 1,091

$13.10 ฿426

1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 ALL 143

$3.39 ฿110

-48.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ALL 192

$1.64 ฿53.4

43.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ALL 135

$2.41 ฿78.5

-31.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 ALL 114

$2.03 ฿66.0

-31.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ALL 82.7

$1.56 ฿50.6

-35.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 ALL 99.8

$1.50 ฿48.66

-18.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ALL 90.7

$1.02 ฿33.30

8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ALL 58.9

$0.49 ฿15.91

46.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 ALL 335

$4.45 ฿145

-7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 ALL 843

$18.88 ฿614

-45.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ALL 130

$1.78 ฿57.7

-10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ALL 145

$2.75 ฿89.5

-35.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ALL 36.66

$1.40 ฿45.54

-67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.58 ALL 1,519

$11.48 ฿373

61.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ALL 292

$3.12 ฿101

14.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ALL 263

$1.00 ฿32.48

221.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.01 ALL 1,472

$14.09 ฿458

27.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 ALL 167

$1.35 ฿43.93

51.85%

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

$34.3K ALL 2.8M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

26.15%

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

$25.1K ALL 2.1M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-23.75%

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

$68.3 ALL 5,585

$125 ฿4,063

-45.32%

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

$17.21 ALL 1,407

$13.57 ฿441

26.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.03 ALL 1,310

$18.52 ฿602

-13.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 ALL 4,583

$61.5 ฿1,999

-8.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.48 ALL 2,083

$16.84 ฿547

51.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 ALL 676

$9.19 ฿299

-10.01%

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

$159 ALL 13.0K

$698 ฿22.7K

-77.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,631 ALL 460.2K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-63.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.73 ALL 3,819

$57.8 ฿1,878

-19.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 ALL 4,178

$35.24 ฿1,146

45.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 ALL 7,713

$113 ฿3,677

-16.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ALL 10.5K

$86.4 ฿2,808

48.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 ALL 36.3K

$616 ฿20.0K

-27.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$345 ALL 28.2K

$446 ฿14.5K

-22.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 ALL 50.0K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-70.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 ALL 36.1K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-70.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,835 ALL 150.0K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-51.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 ALL 92.8K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-57.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$656 ALL 53.6K

$524 ฿17.0K

25.17%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $444 in Kruje and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kruje 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: $37.00 in Kruje vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $292 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,082 vs $1,232 including rent). Kruje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kruje pays 25% more on average, 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: $444 in Kruje versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,082 per month in Kruje versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kruje runs roughly 62% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,082 in Kruje versus $1,232 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 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.