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: $1,123 in Paks versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,677 in Paks versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,230 in Paks versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Paks costs roughly 11% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Paks 16% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.86 Ft 2,793

$4.48 ฿150

97.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.63 Ft 9,021

$45.59 ฿1,521

-37.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 Ft 2,210

$8.76 ฿292

-19.98%

Cappuccino

$0.83 Ft 261

$2.97 ฿99.0

-72.05%

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

$1.07 Ft 337

$0.69 ฿22.90

55.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 212

$0.39 ฿13.04

71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 Ft 366

$2.53 ฿84.4

-54.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 Ft 418

$3.75 ฿125

-64.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 356

$2.15 ฿71.6

-47.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 Ft 469

$1.82 ฿60.6

-18.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 587

$2.18 ฿72.9

-14.68%

Eggs

$2.93 Ft 923

$2.25 ฿75.0

30.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.56 Ft 3,011

$20.00 ฿667

-52.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.62 Ft 1,772

$3.63 ฿121

54.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 Ft 3,499

$13.56 ฿452

-18.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 Ft 618

$3.24 ฿108

-39.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 644

$1.64 ฿54.6

24.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 Ft 638

$2.33 ฿77.8

-12.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 Ft 1,309

$2.07 ฿69.1

100.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 Ft 440

$1.55 ฿51.6

-9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 Ft 408

$1.46 ฿48.54

-10.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 Ft 463

$0.98 ฿32.86

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 Ft 156

$0.48 ฿16.09

4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.18 Ft 2,264

$4.35 ฿145

65.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 Ft 2,021

$18.57 ฿620

-65.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 Ft 349

$1.86 ฿61.9

-40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 Ft 381

$2.65 ฿88.6

-54.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 Ft 355

$1.42 ฿47.28

-20.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.54 Ft 7,733

$11.57 ฿386

112.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 Ft 928

$3.17 ฿106

-7.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 Ft 402

$1.03 ฿34.41

24.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.17 Ft 5,409

$13.89 ฿463

23.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 Ft 548

$1.34 ฿44.84

29.85%

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

$32.2K Ft 10.2M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

16.02%

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

$36.8K Ft 11.6M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

10.10%

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

$147 Ft 46.4K

$123 ฿4,105

19.57%

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

$30.03 Ft 9,461

$13.77 ฿459

118.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.49 Ft 7,716

$18.33 ฿611

33.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.22 Ft 14.9K

$60.7 ฿2,025

-22.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.59 Ft 5,228

$17.16 ฿573

-3.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.07 Ft 2,544

$8.87 ฿296

-9.02%

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

$469 Ft 147.8K

$688 ฿22.9K

-31.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,763 Ft 2.1M

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-57.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 Ft 28.1K

$59.3 ฿1,978

50.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 Ft 8,032

$34.69 ฿1,157

-26.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 Ft 30.1K

$115 ฿3,843

-16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 Ft 32.7K

$83.8 ฿2,794

23.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 Ft 141.4K

$621 ฿20.7K

-27.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 Ft 107.2K

$446 ฿14.9K

-23.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 Ft 197.0K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-69.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 Ft 171.0K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-63.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,079 Ft 970.1K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-10.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,324 Ft 732.4K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-8.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,308 Ft 412.2K

$494 ฿16.5K

165.02%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Paks and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paks pays 165% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $291 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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,123 vs $1,264 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 165% higher in Paks, 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: $449 in Paks versus $621 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,123 in Paks versus $1,264 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.