Cost of Living Comparison Between Palma Soriano and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Palma Soriano and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,582 in Palma Soriano versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,882 in Palma Soriano versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,181 in Palma Soriano versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Palma Soriano is roughly 25% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palma Soriano is 15% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 CUP 117

$4.66 ฿153

4.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.23 CUP 606

$32.22 ฿1,057

-21.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 CUP 121

$8.68 ฿285

-42.05%

Cappuccino

$3.23 CUP 77.6

$2.90 ฿95.1

11.38%

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

$1.29 CUP 30.88

$0.84 ฿27.69

53.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 CUP 21.16

$0.49 ฿16.05

79.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 CUP 70.8

$2.48 ฿81.5

18.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CUP 57.1

$3.73 ฿122

-36.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CUP 47.10

$1.89 ฿61.9

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 CUP 34.37

$1.41 ฿46.21

1.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 CUP 24.68

$1.62 ฿53.2

-36.42%

Eggs

$1.22 CUP 29.25

$2.24 ฿73.5

-45.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.09 CUP 146

$19.84 ฿651

-69.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.08 CUP 146

$3.48 ฿114

74.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 CUP 269

$11.37 ฿373

-1.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 CUP 44.67

$2.90 ฿95.1

-35.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CUP 29.11

$1.72 ฿56.6

-29.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 CUP 35.22

$2.27 ฿74.6

-35.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 CUP 36.70

$2.13 ฿70.0

-28.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.51

$1.47 ฿48.38

-30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.29

$1.42 ฿46.59

-31.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.36

$1.10 ฿36.00

-8.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CUP 25.73

$0.60 ฿19.62

78.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 CUP 73.1

$4.31 ฿141

-29.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 CUP 240

$18.60 ฿610

-46.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 CUP 71.2

$1.80 ฿59.1

64.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 CUP 46.92

$2.97 ฿97.3

-34.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 CUP 5.75

$2.25 ฿73.7

-89.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.20 CUP 725

$23.49 ฿771

28.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 CUP 43.85

$3.10 ฿102

-40.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 CUP 8.76

$1.08 ฿35.31

-65.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.88 CUP 309

$3.87 ฿127

232.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CUP 28.42

$1.43 ฿46.83

-17.48%

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

$65.7K CUP 1.6M

$27.8K ฿911.7K

136.27%

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

$46.7K CUP 1.1M

$27.0K ฿885.3K

73.20%

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

$55.2 CUP 1,325

$105 ฿3,438

-47.33%

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

$10.15 CUP 244

$11.39 ฿374

-10.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$150 CUP 3,593

$17.54 ฿576

753.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.60 CUP 974

$54.3 ฿1,783

-25.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 CUP 243

$11.44 ฿375

-11.54%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.50

$7.78 ฿255

-87.40%

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

$100 CUP 2,407

$576 ฿18.9K

-82.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CUP 285.6K

$11.6K ฿380.0K

2.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 CUP 1,549

$63.6 ฿2,088

1.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.65 CUP 831

$29.10 ฿955

19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 CUP 2,006

$96.2 ฿3,157

-13.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CUP 2,652

$90.0 ฿2,953

22.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 CUP 20.8K

$733 ฿24.1K

18.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 CUP 19.0K

$501 ฿16.4K

57.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 CUP 17.8K

$2,126 ฿69.7K

-65.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 CUP 15.5K

$1,252 ฿41.1K

-48.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$322 CUP 7,737

$3,534 ฿115.9K

-90.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$326 CUP 7,818

$2,622 ฿86.0K

-87.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$40.19 CUP 964

$508 ฿16.7K

-92.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

5.57

49.55%

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

Last update for Palma Soriano: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $867 in Palma Soriano and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 1163% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Palma Soriano vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $275 per month, with Palma Soriano cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Palma Soriano vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Palma Soriano. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1163% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $867 in Palma Soriano versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 29% less than in Palma Soriano. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $100 in Palma Soriano versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,582 in Palma Soriano, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Palma Soriano. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Palma Soriano 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Palma Soriano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.