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: $1,568 in Palma Soriano versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,880 in Palma Soriano versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,193 in Palma Soriano versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Palma Soriano is roughly 24% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palma Soriano is 17% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.01 CUP 120

$4.70 ฿153

6.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.43 CUP 610

$45.37 ฿1,482

-43.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 CUP 118

$8.43 ฿275

-41.52%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CUP 75.5

$2.93 ฿95.6

7.51%

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

$1.26 CUP 30.28

$0.69 ฿22.40

82.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 CUP 22.04

$0.37 ฿11.99

148.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 CUP 72.9

$2.41 ฿78.6

26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CUP 58.1

$3.72 ฿122

-34.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CUP 49.13

$2.23 ฿72.9

-8.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 CUP 34.16

$1.83 ฿59.8

-22.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.41

$2.17 ฿70.8

-53.00%

Eggs

$1.21 CUP 29.12

$2.21 ฿72.3

-45.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.16 CUP 148

$19.74 ฿645

-68.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.12 CUP 147

$3.63 ฿119

68.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 CUP 260

$13.53 ฿442

-20.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 CUP 45.58

$3.28 ฿107

-42.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CUP 29.37

$1.61 ฿52.6

-24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 CUP 35.01

$2.41 ฿78.6

-39.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 CUP 34.97

$2.08 ฿68.1

-29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 CUP 23.75

$1.53 ฿49.93

-35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.53

$1.48 ฿48.36

-33.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.41

$0.99 ฿32.29

3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CUP 26.96

$0.51 ฿16.67

119.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 CUP 73.4

$4.41 ฿144

-30.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 CUP 237

$19.38 ฿633

-48.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 CUP 71.6

$1.78 ฿58.1

67.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CUP 48.99

$2.71 ฿88.6

-24.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 CUP 6.28

$1.37 ฿44.79

-81.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.80 CUP 715

$11.39 ฿372

161.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 CUP 43.75

$3.02 ฿98.6

-39.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 CUP 8.69

$0.99 ฿32.48

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.72 CUP 305

$14.10 ฿461

-9.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CUP 26.84

$1.36 ฿44.51

-17.65%

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

$65.4K CUP 1.6M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

131.90%

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

$46.2K CUP 1.1M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

40.34%

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

$54.2 CUP 1,300

$122 ฿3,975

-55.51%

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

$10.05 CUP 241

$13.57 ฿443

-25.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$146 CUP 3,499

$18.31 ฿598

696.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.49 CUP 972

$60.2 ฿1,967

-32.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.92 CUP 238

$17.14 ฿560

-42.12%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.45

$8.69 ฿284

-88.72%

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

$99.9 CUP 2,397

$693 ฿22.6K

-85.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K CUP 292.5K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-22.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.0 CUP 1,536

$59.5 ฿1,944

7.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 CUP 837

$34.77 ฿1,136

0.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 CUP 2,079

$115 ฿3,743

-24.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CUP 2,674

$83.3 ฿2,720

33.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 CUP 21.1K

$613 ฿20.0K

43.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 CUP 19.2K

$437 ฿14.3K

82.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$743 CUP 17.8K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-64.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 CUP 15.7K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-56.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$314 CUP 7,545

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-91.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$330 CUP 7,920

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-87.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$39.79 CUP 955

$508 ฿16.6K

-92.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

5.33

56.29%

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

Last update for Palma Soriano: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Palma Soriano and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 1177% 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 $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $293 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 24% 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, Phuket earns 1177% less. 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: $880 in Palma Soriano versus $613 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 162% less than in Palma Soriano. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $99.9 in Palma Soriano versus $693 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 $1,568 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 24% less than in Palma Soriano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.