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: $1,573 in Palma Soriano versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,875 in Palma Soriano versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Palma Soriano versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Palma Soriano is roughly 26% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palma Soriano is 18% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 CUP 119

$4.55 ฿153

9.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.89 CUP 597

$46.18 ฿1,554

-46.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 CUP 117

$8.84 ฿298

-44.68%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CUP 75.6

$3.06 ฿103

2.94%

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

$1.28 CUP 30.62

$0.73 ฿24.42

75.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 CUP 22.33

$0.40 ฿13.40

132.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 CUP 71.4

$2.43 ฿81.8

22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 CUP 60.0

$3.78 ฿127

-33.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 CUP 47.25

$2.26 ฿76.0

-12.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 CUP 34.11

$1.81 ฿60.9

-21.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.35

$2.25 ฿75.8

-56.89%

Eggs

$1.23 CUP 29.42

$2.25 ฿75.6

-45.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 CUP 143

$19.51 ฿656

-69.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.12 CUP 147

$3.65 ฿123

67.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.17 CUP 268

$13.05 ฿439

-14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 CUP 43.90

$3.23 ฿109

-43.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CUP 28.41

$1.62 ฿54.4

-27.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 CUP 36.30

$2.38 ฿80.2

-36.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 CUP 36.82

$2.03 ฿68.2

-24.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 CUP 24.65

$1.53 ฿51.6

-32.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.46

$1.50 ฿50.5

-34.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.42

$0.98 ฿32.93

4.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CUP 26.77

$0.52 ฿17.40

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 CUP 71.6

$4.44 ฿149

-32.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 CUP 241

$18.32 ฿616

-45.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 CUP 73.1

$1.86 ฿62.7

63.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CUP 49.00

$2.68 ฿90.2

-23.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 CUP 5.71

$1.41 ฿47.49

-82.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.34 CUP 728

$11.70 ฿394

159.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 CUP 41.99

$3.11 ฿105

-43.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 CUP 8.77

$1.04 ฿35.08

-64.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.14 CUP 315

$14.11 ฿475

-6.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CUP 27.98

$1.31 ฿44.13

-10.69%

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

$66.4K CUP 1.6M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

138.56%

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

$45.9K CUP 1.1M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

38.17%

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

$54.1 CUP 1,299

$122 ฿4,120

-55.79%

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

$9.97 CUP 239

$13.59 ฿457

-26.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$148 CUP 3,552

$18.70 ฿629

691.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.39 CUP 945

$60.5 ฿2,035

-34.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.97 CUP 239

$16.98 ฿572

-41.28%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$9.07 ฿305

-89.20%

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

$100 CUP 2,404

$706 ฿23.8K

-85.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CUP 283.0K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-25.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 CUP 1,579

$58.6 ฿1,970

12.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 CUP 841

$35.36 ฿1,190

-0.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 CUP 2,046

$115 ฿3,885

-26.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CUP 2,616

$83.7 ฿2,818

30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 CUP 20.8K

$626 ฿21.1K

38.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 CUP 19.0K

$445 ฿15.0K

78.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 CUP 18.2K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-62.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 CUP 15.8K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-55.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$325 CUP 7,807

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-90.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$323 CUP 7,758

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-87.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$40.12 CUP 963

$500 ฿16.8K

-91.97%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $867 in Palma Soriano and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 1146% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $289 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 26% 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 1146% 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 $626 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 159% 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 $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,573 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 $1,250 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 26% less than in Palma Soriano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.