Cost of Living Comparison Between Paks and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Paks and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Paks versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,661 in Paks versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,174 in Paks versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Paks costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Paks 15% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 Ft 2,571

$4.56 ฿149

86.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.11 Ft 8,808

$46.63 ฿1,519

-37.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 Ft 2,023

$8.47 ฿276

-21.02%

Cappuccino

$0.82 Ft 248

$3.03 ฿98.6

-72.94%

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

$1.06 Ft 321

$0.69 ฿22.45

53.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 Ft 219

$0.37 ฿11.92

94.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 Ft 338

$2.49 ฿81.0

-55.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 Ft 397

$3.66 ฿119

-64.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 Ft 329

$2.18 ฿71.0

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 Ft 466

$1.90 ฿62.0

-18.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 557

$2.20 ฿71.6

-16.36%

Eggs

$2.95 Ft 893

$2.22 ฿72.4

32.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 Ft 2,902

$19.99 ฿651

-52.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 Ft 1,688

$3.66 ฿119

52.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 Ft 3,324

$13.25 ฿432

-17.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 Ft 614

$3.23 ฿105

-37.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 Ft 591

$1.70 ฿55.3

14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 629

$2.39 ฿78.0

-12.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 Ft 1,273

$2.08 ฿67.7

102.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 Ft 419

$1.59 ฿51.8

-12.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 Ft 391

$1.48 ฿48.31

-12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 Ft 446

$1.03 ฿33.54

42.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Ft 149

$0.52 ฿16.83

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.24 Ft 2,191

$4.25 ฿138

70.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 Ft 2,001

$18.79 ฿612

-64.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 Ft 344

$1.76 ฿57.2

-35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 Ft 363

$2.76 ฿89.8

-56.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 Ft 354

$1.36 ฿44.32

-13.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.58 Ft 7,437

$11.36 ฿370

116.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 Ft 856

$3.14 ฿102

-9.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 Ft 388

$1.04 ฿33.74

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.35 Ft 5,250

$13.77 ฿448

26.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 Ft 533

$1.34 ฿43.79

31.34%

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

$31.3K Ft 9.5M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

13.08%

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

$36.2K Ft 11.0M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

6.95%

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

$145 Ft 43.8K

$124 ฿4,025

17.04%

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

$30.24 Ft 9,149

$13.52 ฿440

123.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.03 Ft 7,573

$18.69 ฿609

33.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.21 Ft 14.0K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-25.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 Ft 5,047

$17.25 ฿562

-3.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 Ft 2,372

$9.14 ฿298

-14.22%

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

$460 Ft 139.3K

$703 ฿22.9K

-34.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,756 Ft 2.0M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-57.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 Ft 26.5K

$59.5 ฿1,937

47.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 Ft 7,909

$35.07 ฿1,142

-25.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 Ft 28.7K

$115 ฿3,754

-17.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 Ft 31.7K

$84.1 ฿2,737

24.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 Ft 137.3K

$619 ฿20.1K

-26.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 Ft 103.6K

$433 ฿14.1K

-20.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$628 Ft 189.9K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-69.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 Ft 162.6K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-64.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,305 Ft 999.9K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-9.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,492 Ft 753.9K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-5.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,361 Ft 411.7K

$507 ฿16.5K

168.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

50.09%

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

Last update for Paks: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $454 in Paks and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paks pays 168% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Paks vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $293 per month, with Paks cheaper across the board.

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

Paks vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paks and Phuket differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,148 vs $1,261 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Paks pays 168% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $454 in Paks versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Paks – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,148 in Paks versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paks but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Paks 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, Paks 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 Paks gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.