Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nong Khai and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Nong Khai: $918 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Nong Khai
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Nong Khai Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$918

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nong Khai and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nong Khai and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $918 per month in Nong Khai vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Nong Khai $918
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $1,472 per month in Nong Khai vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Nong Khai $1,472
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $2,026 per month in Nong Khai vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Nong Khai $2,026
Phuket $2,845

Nong Khai is about 24% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nong Khai and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Nong Khai 32% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ฿101

$4.40 ฿147

-31.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.24 ฿810

$32.26 ฿1,078

-24.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 ฿265

$8.76 ฿293

-9.36%

Cappuccino

$1.94 ฿64.9

$2.83 ฿94.5

-31.45%

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

$0.65 ฿21.61

$0.90 ฿30.14

-27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.34

$0.47 ฿15.56

-27.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 ฿64.1

$2.55 ฿85.2

-24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.83 ฿128

-15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ฿60.4

$1.73 ฿57.7

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.15

$1.47 ฿49.11

-4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.88

$1.51 ฿50.6

-7.28%

Eggs

$1.98 ฿66.0

$2.17 ฿72.7

-8.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.41 ฿582

$19.70 ฿658

-11.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.66 ฿89.0

$3.34 ฿112

-20.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 ฿365

$11.16 ฿373

-2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.85 ฿95.1

-4.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 ฿33.06

$1.70 ฿56.9

-41.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$2.19 ฿73.3

1.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 ฿61.1

$2.05 ฿68.4

-10.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.45 ฿48.57

4.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿39.91

$1.38 ฿46.16

-13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.70

$1.07 ฿35.69

5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.31

$0.51 ฿16.91

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 ฿149

$4.26 ฿142

4.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿600

$18.58 ฿621

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.78 ฿59.7

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 ฿83.5

$2.85 ฿95.2

-12.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.57

$2.26 ฿75.6

-61.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 ฿37.19

$3.01 ฿101

-63.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿33.56

$1.06 ฿35.34

-5.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 ฿225

$3.86 ฿129

74.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ฿46.27

$1.45 ฿48.45

-4.83%

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

$22.6K ฿756.9K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-13.98%

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

$27.9K ฿932.6K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

3.57%

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

$78.5 ฿2,624

$96.4 ฿3,221

-18.53%

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

$9.94 ฿332

$11.04 ฿369

-9.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.60 ฿655

$17.14 ฿573

14.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.18 ฿1,577

$52.2 ฿1,744

-9.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ฿484

$11.16 ฿373

29.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 ฿236

$7.81 ฿261

-9.48%

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

$515 ฿17.2K

$556 ฿18.6K

-7.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,737 ฿325.4K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-15.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 ฿1,711

$64.2 ฿2,146

-20.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.43 ฿917

$28.69 ฿959

-4.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.1 ฿2,175

$95.4 ฿3,187

-31.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 ฿2,744

$88.0 ฿2,940

-6.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 ฿12.9K

$737 ฿24.6K

-47.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ฿9,932

$462 ฿15.5K

-35.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 ฿38.7K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-44.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 ฿22.4K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-44.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,170 ฿72.5K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-37.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,538 ฿51.4K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-39.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 ฿15.1K

$501 ฿16.7K

-9.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Nong Khai: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nong Khai

$297 32.4%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 55.6% $165

Groceries & Markets

Nong Khai

$248 27.1%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 8.2% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nong Khai

$108 11.8%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 15.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Nong Khai

$102 11.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 22.3% $23

Eating Out

Nong Khai

$91 10%

Phuket

$121 10% 32.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Nong Khai

$61 6.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 10.6% $6.5

Getting Around

Nong Khai

$9.7 * 1.1%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 308% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $387 in Nong Khai versus $737 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Nong Khai versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $248 vs $269 – making Nong Khai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

Same time as Nong Khai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Nong Khai Phuket 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nong Khai
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Nong Khai vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,376 per month in Nong Khai and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nong Khai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $918 in Nong Khai and $1,208 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 32%.

Kindergarten costs $515 per month in Nong Khai and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nong Khai, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Nong Khai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nong Khai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Nong Khai. 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.