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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $896 per month in Lucea vs $1,261 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,463 per month in Lucea vs $2,276 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,029 per month in Lucea vs $3,291 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 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 JMD 1,154

$4.53 ฿152

61.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 JMD 9,731

$46.36 ฿1,558

33.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 JMD 1,385

$8.65 ฿291

1.62%

Cappuccino

$4.45 JMD 700

$3.09 ฿104

44.01%

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

$1.36 JMD 214

$0.68 ฿22.79

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 111

$0.37 ฿12.38

91.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 JMD 389

$2.42 ฿81.2

2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 488

$3.81 ฿128

-18.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.30 JMD 677

$2.18 ฿73.2

97.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 JMD 573

$1.82 ฿61.1

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 JMD 244

$2.18 ฿73.2

-28.90%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 548

$2.24 ฿75.1

55.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 JMD 1,734

$19.93 ฿670

-44.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 JMD 1,009

$3.64 ฿122

76.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 JMD 1,199

$13.56 ฿456

-43.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 975

$3.29 ฿111

88.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 JMD 477

$1.69 ฿56.6

79.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 JMD 681

$2.33 ฿78.4

85.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 JMD 473

$2.03 ฿68.1

47.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 318

$1.60 ฿53.8

26.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$1.49 ฿50.2

29.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 JMD 471

$1.01 ฿34.02

196.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 230

$0.48 ฿16.02

204.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.95 JMD 1,409

$4.45 ฿150

101.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 JMD 1,799

$18.63 ฿626

-38.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 437

$1.79 ฿60.0

54.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 479

$2.80 ฿94.0

8.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$3.09 ฿104

-63.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 496

$1.04 ฿35.03

202.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.09 JMD 959

$13.63 ฿458

-55.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 JMD 193

$1.31 ฿44.03

-6.11%

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

$42.5K JMD 6.7M

$27.3K ฿916.6K

55.68%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

1.68%

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

$166 JMD 26.2K

$123 ฿4,138

34.91%

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

$21.98 JMD 3,462

$13.81 ฿464

59.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 JMD 8,184

$18.52 ฿622

180.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,028

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿564

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 JMD 2,030

$8.89 ฿299

44.99%

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

$228 JMD 36.0K

$687 ฿23.1K

-66.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,494 JMD 392.7K

$15.6K ฿522.5K

-83.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.81 JMD 4,064

$57.6 ฿1,936

-55.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.64 JMD 4,038

$34.66 ฿1,165

-26.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 JMD 11.4K

$115 ฿3,861

-37.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

$84.9 ฿2,853

-8.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿68.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿119.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lucea versus $46.00 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 $1,344 per month in Lucea and $1,891 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 $46.00 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 $896, than in Phuket at $1,261. 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 $896 versus $1,261 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.