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: $710 in Old Harbour versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,170 in Old Harbour versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,630 in Old Harbour versus $3,248 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 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.28 JMD 989

$4.48 ฿150

40.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.89 JMD 4,864

$45.59 ฿1,521

-32.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 JMD 807

$8.76 ฿292

-41.44%

Cappuccino

$4.33 JMD 681

$2.97 ฿99.0

45.79%

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

$0.90 JMD 142

$0.69 ฿22.90

30.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 JMD 96.4

$0.39 ฿13.04

56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 383

$2.53 ฿84.4

-3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 JMD 499

$3.75 ฿125

-15.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.33 JMD 681

$2.15 ฿71.6

101.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 JMD 555

$1.82 ฿60.6

93.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 256

$2.18 ฿72.9

-25.69%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 549

$2.25 ฿75.0

54.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.48 JMD 548

$20.00 ฿667

-82.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 JMD 1,026

$3.63 ฿121

79.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 JMD 1,186

$13.56 ฿452

-44.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.85 JMD 921

$3.24 ฿108

80.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 JMD 480

$1.64 ฿54.6

85.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 JMD 677

$2.33 ฿77.8

84.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 JMD 333

$2.07 ฿69.1

2.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 318

$1.55 ฿51.6

30.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 306

$1.46 ฿48.54

32.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 JMD 472

$0.98 ฿32.86

205.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 228

$0.48 ฿16.09

202.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.85 JMD 1,394

$4.35 ฿145

103.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.56 JMD 1,820

$18.57 ฿620

-37.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 JMD 435

$1.86 ฿61.9

48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 489

$2.65 ฿88.6

16.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$3.17 ฿106

-64.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 JMD 516

$1.03 ฿34.41

218.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 JMD 977

$13.89 ฿463

-55.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 JMD 171

$1.34 ฿44.84

-18.66%

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

$42.9K JMD 6.7M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

54.20%

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

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-0.70%

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

$49.51 JMD 7,797

$123 ฿4,105

-59.76%

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

$21.97 JMD 3,460

$13.77 ฿459

59.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.48 JMD 7,006

$18.33 ฿611

142.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 JMD 2,083

$8.87 ฿296

49.15%

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

$225 JMD 35.4K

$688 ฿22.9K

-67.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,493 JMD 392.7K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-84.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.25 JMD 4,135

$59.3 ฿1,978

-55.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.31 JMD 3,986

$34.69 ฿1,157

-27.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 JMD 11.1K

$115 ฿3,843

-38.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.3 JMD 11.9K

$83.8 ฿2,794

-10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $31.00 in Old Harbour vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $291, 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 78% in total monthly costs ($710 vs $1,264 including rent). Old Harbour is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,065 in Old Harbour and $1,896 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 $225 in Old Harbour versus $688 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 $31.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $710 in Old Harbour versus $1,264 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 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.