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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $883 per month in Lucea vs $1,247 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,451 per month in Lucea vs $2,276 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,020 per month in Lucea vs $3,306 in Phuket, rent included.

Lucea is about 29% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Lucea and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Lucea 34% lower, Phuket 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 JMD 1,207

$4.59 ฿147

66.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 JMD 9,778

$46.83 ฿1,500

31.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 JMD 1,355

$8.70 ฿279

-1.61%

Cappuccino

$4.28 JMD 678

$2.92 ฿93.7

46.58%

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

$1.37 JMD 217

$0.68 ฿21.90

101.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 111

$0.40 ฿12.69

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 JMD 399

$2.51 ฿80.3

0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 JMD 485

$3.80 ฿122

-19.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.43 JMD 702

$2.16 ฿69.2

105.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 JMD 551

$1.88 ฿60.3

85.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 249

$2.16 ฿69.1

-27.31%

Eggs

$3.43 JMD 542

$2.22 ฿71.1

54.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 JMD 1,781

$19.57 ฿627

-42.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 JMD 1,027

$3.80 ฿122

70.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.52 JMD 1,191

$13.41 ฿430

-43.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 JMD 943

$3.26 ฿104

82.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 491

$1.61 ฿51.6

92.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 JMD 653

$2.31 ฿73.9

78.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 JMD 482

$2.06 ฿65.9

48.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 319

$1.61 ฿51.4

25.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 305

$1.44 ฿46.23

34.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 JMD 488

$1.03 ฿32.99

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 JMD 226

$0.48 ฿15.38

197.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.01 JMD 1,426

$4.50 ฿144

100.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.51 JMD 1,821

$19.18 ฿614

-39.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 458

$1.82 ฿58.4

59.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 JMD 509

$2.69 ฿86.2

19.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 172

$3.11 ฿99.5

-64.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 499

$1.00 ฿32.16

215.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 JMD 980

$13.74 ฿440

-54.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 196

$1.30 ฿41.58

-4.62%

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

$42.9K JMD 6.8M

$27.4K ฿876.5K

56.79%

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

$33.7K JMD 5.3M

$33.0K ฿1.1M

2.17%

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

$166 JMD 26.3K

$125 ฿4,001

33.11%

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

$21.82 JMD 3,453

$13.74 ฿440

58.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 JMD 8,139

$18.61 ฿596

176.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,940

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿549

Cinema Ticket

$12.99 JMD 2,056

$9.01 ฿289

44.17%

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

$225 JMD 35.7K

$698 ฿22.4K

-67.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,461 JMD 389.6K

$16.1K ฿516.2K

-84.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.31 JMD 4,164

$59.2 ฿1,897

-55.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.70 JMD 4,068

$34.86 ฿1,117

-26.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 JMD 11.4K

$114 ฿3,659

-37.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 JMD 12.0K

$85.8 ฿2,749

-11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

5.33

71.67%

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

Last update for Lucea: April 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $0 in Lucea versus $619 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lucea versus $47 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $292 – 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 41% more than Lucea, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,324 per month in Lucea and $1,870 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 $62.0 in Lucea and $47.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% 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 $883, than in Phuket at $1,247. 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 $883 versus $1,247 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.