Cost of Living Comparison Between Lucea and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Lucea and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Lucea vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,684 per month in Lucea vs $2,089 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,349 per month in Lucea vs $2,913 in Phuket, rent included.

Lucea is about 19% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lucea and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Lucea 26% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.07 JMD 2,525

$4.66 ฿154

244.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 JMD 11.9K

$32.22 ฿1,065

135.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.82 JMD 1,385

$8.68 ฿287

1.61%

Cappuccino

$5.44 JMD 854

$2.90 ฿95.8

87.59%

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

$1.19 JMD 186

$0.84 ฿27.89

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 109

$0.49 ฿16.16

40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 JMD 343

$2.48 ฿82.0

-12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 JMD 500

$3.73 ฿123

-14.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.20 JMD 660

$1.89 ฿62.3

122.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 JMD 576

$1.41 ฿46.54

160.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 JMD 258

$1.62 ฿53.6

1.85%

Eggs

$3.46 JMD 544

$2.24 ฿74.1

54.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 JMD 1,819

$19.84 ฿656

-41.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 JMD 976

$3.48 ฿115

78.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.21 JMD 1,604

$11.37 ฿376

-10.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 JMD 934

$2.90 ฿95.8

105.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.89 JMD 611

$1.72 ฿57.0

126.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.34 JMD 1,153

$2.27 ฿75.1

223.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 JMD 477

$2.13 ฿70.4

42.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 JMD 527

$1.47 ฿48.72

128.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 JMD 411

$1.42 ฿46.92

84.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 JMD 470

$1.10 ฿36.25

171.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 JMD 231

$0.60 ฿19.76

145.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.43 JMD 1,481

$4.31 ฿142

118.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 JMD 1,774

$18.60 ฿615

-39.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 JMD 463

$1.80 ฿59.5

63.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 JMD 625

$2.97 ฿98.0

34.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 JMD 193

$3.10 ฿102

-60.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 JMD 487

$1.08 ฿35.56

187.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.36 JMD 999

$3.87 ฿128

64.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 JMD 213

$1.43 ฿47.16

-5.59%

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

$43.8K JMD 6.9M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

57.80%

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

$33.3K JMD 5.2M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

23.57%

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

$173 JMD 27.2K

$105 ฿3,462

65.31%

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

$29.94 JMD 4,703

$11.39 ฿376

162.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 JMD 8,222

$17.54 ฿580

198.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 JMD 2,093

$7.78 ฿257

71.34%

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

$359 JMD 56.4K

$576 ฿19.0K

-37.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,217 JMD 1.3M

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-29.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.79 JMD 3,738

$63.6 ฿2,103

-62.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.08 JMD 4,883

$29.10 ฿961

6.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 JMD 12.5K

$96.2 ฿3,179

-17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 JMD 16.4K

$90.0 ฿2,974

16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

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)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

5.57

69.66%

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

Last update for Lucea: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lucea versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $275 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Lucea vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 24% more than Lucea, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,530 per month in Lucea and $1,898 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lucea and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 39% cheaper in Phuket – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lucea, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Lucea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lucea costs $1,020 versus $1,265 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lucea. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.