Cost of Living Comparison Between Pau and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pau and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Pau vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Pau vs $2,297 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,194 per month in Pau vs $3,329 in Phuket, rent included.

Pau costs about 27% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Pau sits 20% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.23 €13.96

$4.70 ฿153

245.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 €44.41

$45.37 ฿1,482

13.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.82

$8.43 ฿275

35.35%

Cappuccino

$3.30 €2.84

$2.93 ฿95.6

12.63%

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

$3.41 €2.93

$0.69 ฿22.40

394.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.37 ฿11.99

410.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 €5.06

$2.41 ฿78.6

144.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 €3.49

$3.72 ฿122

9.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$2.23 ฿72.9

-41.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.83 ฿59.8

22.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.17 ฿70.8

-17.05%

Eggs

$4.85 €4.17

$2.21 ฿72.3

119.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 €11.49

$19.74 ฿645

-32.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.36 €10.63

$3.63 ฿119

240.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.75 €22.15

$13.53 ฿442

90.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 €2.83

$3.28 ฿107

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.61 ฿52.6

3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.41 ฿78.6

-9.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 €2.93

$2.08 ฿68.1

63.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.53 ฿49.93

15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.48 ฿48.36

55.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.06

$0.99 ฿32.29

24.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.51 ฿16.67

80.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.80 €11.01

$4.41 ฿144

190.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 €7.78

$19.38 ฿633

-53.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.29

$1.78 ฿58.1

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.93

$2.71 ฿88.6

25.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.37 ฿44.79

-5.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.15 €22.49

$11.39 ฿372

129.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 €3.89

$3.02 ฿98.6

49.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.99 ฿32.48

147.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.62 €15.16

$14.10 ฿461

24.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.36 ฿44.51

54.41%

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

$29.8K €25.6K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

5.62%

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

$34.9K €30.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

6.14%

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

$185 €159

$122 ฿3,975

52.28%

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

$32.03 €27.56

$13.57 ฿443

136.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.03 €33.57

$18.31 ฿598

113.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.06 €34.46

$60.2 ฿1,967

-33.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.44 €15.86

$17.14 ฿560

7.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 €9.59

$8.69 ฿284

28.31%

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

$792 €681

$693 ฿22.6K

14.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,637 €3,988

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-70.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.7

$59.5 ฿1,944

73.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 €34.46

$34.77 ฿1,136

15.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 €73.4

$115 ฿3,743

-25.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 €70.8

$83.3 ฿2,720

-1.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 €659

$613 ฿20.0K

24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 €400

$437 ฿14.3K

6.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €952

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-47.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$734 €632

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-51.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,557 €2,200

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-31.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,097 €1,804

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-19.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,123 €2,686

$508 ฿16.6K

514.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

5.33

-32.08%

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

Last update for Pau: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $766 in Pau versus $613 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 515% higher in Pau, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Pau versus $45.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $293 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Pau vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,609 in Pau, $1,265 in Phuket – roughly 27% apart. Pau costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,414 per month in Pau and $1,898 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Pau, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Pau and $45.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Pau at $1,609. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,265 in Phuket to $1,609 in Pau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.