Cost of Living Comparison Between Old Harbour and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Old Harbour and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $706 in Old Harbour versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Old Harbour versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,589 in Old Harbour versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Old Harbour costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Old Harbour 47% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.28 JMD 988

$4.56 ฿149

37.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 JMD 5,022

$46.63 ฿1,519

-31.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 JMD 804

$8.47 ฿276

-39.67%

Cappuccino

$4.33 JMD 681

$3.03 ฿98.6

42.90%

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

$0.97 JMD 153

$0.69 ฿22.45

40.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 JMD 103

$0.37 ฿11.92

75.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 JMD 397

$2.49 ฿81.0

1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 JMD 490

$3.66 ฿119

-14.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.21 JMD 661

$2.18 ฿71.0

93.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 JMD 572

$1.90 ฿62.0

91.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 253

$2.20 ฿71.6

-26.82%

Eggs

$3.55 JMD 558

$2.22 ฿72.4

59.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.55 JMD 558

$19.99 ฿651

-82.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 JMD 1,019

$3.66 ฿119

77.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.75 JMD 1,219

$13.25 ฿432

-41.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 JMD 950

$3.23 ฿105

87.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 JMD 469

$1.70 ฿55.3

75.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 JMD 668

$2.39 ฿78.0

77.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 318

$2.08 ฿67.7

-2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 JMD 333

$1.59 ฿51.8

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 305

$1.48 ฿48.31

31.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 JMD 487

$1.03 ฿33.54

200.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 229

$0.52 ฿16.83

178.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.80 JMD 1,384

$4.25 ฿138

107.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.49 JMD 1,807

$18.79 ฿612

-38.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 441

$1.76 ฿57.2

59.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 JMD 484

$2.76 ฿89.8

11.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 171

$3.14 ฿102

-65.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 JMD 509

$1.04 ฿33.74

211.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 JMD 998

$13.77 ฿448

-53.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 JMD 168

$1.34 ฿43.79

-20.15%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

57.94%

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

$33.3K JMD 5.2M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-1.53%

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

$51.1 JMD 8,032

$124 ฿4,025

-58.68%

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

$22.20 JMD 3,491

$13.52 ฿440

64.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.35 JMD 6,818

$18.69 ฿609

131.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 JMD 2,105

$9.14 ฿298

46.50%

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

$226 JMD 35.6K

$703 ฿22.9K

-67.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,512 JMD 395.0K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-84.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.04 JMD 4,095

$59.5 ฿1,937

-56.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.00 JMD 4,089

$35.07 ฿1,142

-25.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 JMD 11.1K

$115 ฿3,754

-38.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.4 JMD 11.9K

$84.1 ฿2,737

-10.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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 Old Harbour: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Old Harbour vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $293, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Old Harbour vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Old Harbour and Phuket differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($706 vs $1,261 including rent). Old Harbour is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,059 in Old Harbour and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $226 in Old Harbour versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Old Harbour – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $706 in Old Harbour versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Old Harbour but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Old Harbour 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, Old Harbour 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 Old Harbour gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.