Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City, FL and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City, FL and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,737 in Panama City, FL versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,627 in Panama City, FL versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,517 in Panama City, FL versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Panama City, FL is roughly 116% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City, FL is 104% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.49 $18.49

$4.70 ฿153

293.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.2 $54.2

$45.37 ฿1,482

19.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 $10.68

$8.43 ฿275

26.69%

Cappuccino

$4.94 $4.94

$2.93 ฿95.6

68.60%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$0.69 ฿22.40

291.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.37 ฿11.99

483.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.41 ฿78.6

102.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 $6.63

$3.72 ฿122

78.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.23 ฿72.9

-57.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.83 ฿59.8

74.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.17 ฿70.8

14.75%

Eggs

$3.28 $3.28

$2.21 ฿72.3

48.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 $10.54

$19.74 ฿645

-46.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$3.63 ฿119

216.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.53 ฿442

12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.28 ฿107

4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.61 ฿52.6

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.41 ฿78.6

22.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.08 ฿68.1

98.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.53 ฿49.93

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.48 ฿48.36

92.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.99 ฿32.29

107.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.51 ฿16.67

290.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.11 $8.11

$4.41 ฿144

83.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 $13.63

$19.38 ฿633

-29.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.78 ฿58.1

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.71 ฿88.6

14.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.37 ฿44.79

11.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 $136

$11.39 ฿372

1097.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.02 ฿98.6

-16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.99 ฿32.48

58.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.51 $25.51

$14.10 ฿461

80.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.36 ฿44.51

-39.71%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-19.55%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-24.72%

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

$218 $218

$122 ฿3,975

78.78%

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

$43.26 $43.26

$13.57 ฿443

218.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 $65.7

$18.31 ฿598

258.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.22 $40.22

$60.2 ฿1,967

-33.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 $13.17

$8.69 ฿284

51.55%

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

$516 $516

$693 ฿22.6K

-25.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,028 $8,028

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-48.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.63 $39.63

$59.5 ฿1,944

-33.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 $42.24

$34.77 ฿1,136

21.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 $61.0

$115 ฿3,743

-46.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 $73.6

$83.3 ฿2,720

-11.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 $1,673

$613 ฿20.0K

172.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 $1,512

$437 ฿14.3K

246.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,335 $2,335

$2,094 ฿68.4K

11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 $1,761

$1,509 ฿49.3K

16.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,702 $3,702

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-1.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,630 $3,630

$2,616 ฿85.4K

38.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,085 $4,085

$508 ฿16.6K

703.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

5.33

20.64%

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

Last update for Panama City, FL: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Panama City, FL and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City, FL pays 704% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Panama City, FL vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $293 per month, with Phuket 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

Panama City, FL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 116% lower than in Panama City, FL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Panama City, FL pays 704% 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: $1,673 in Panama City, FL versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $516 in Panama City, FL versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Panama City, FL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,737 in Panama City, FL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Panama City, FL. 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, Panama City, FL 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 116% less than in Panama City, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.