Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Acosta Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Acosta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,566 in Acosta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,384 in Acosta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,202 in Acosta.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 19% less than in Acosta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Acosta is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$10.23 ₡4,622

-55.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$51.5 ₡23.3K

-9.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$10.18 ₡4,599

-16.80%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.81 ₡1,721

-20.47%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.98 ₡893

-65.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.60 ₡723

-76.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.99 ₡1,353

-16.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.80 ₡2,169

-23.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.98 ₡893

10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.81 ₡1,271

-32.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.23 ₡1,006

-1.35%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.93 ₡1,326

-24.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.17 ₡4,597

96.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$8.95 ₡4,045

-59.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$13.42 ₡6,065

-1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.42 ₡1,999

-26.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.50 ₡677

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$4.22 ₡1,907

-43.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.19 ₡1,440

-34.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$3.46 ₡1,564

-54.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.95 ₡1,333

-49.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.01 ₡455

1.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$2.90 ₡1,311

-82.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.84 ₡2,185

-12.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$15.44 ₡6,977

21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.28 ₡1,030

-22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.62 ₡1,183

5.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.96 ₡434

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$24.96 ₡11.3K

-54.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.79 ₡810

75.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.87 ₡845

-44.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$8.04 ₡3,632

71.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.41 ₡636

-4.96%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$37.9K ₡17.1M

-27.01%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$32.8K ₡14.8M

3.26%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$94.9 ₡42.9K

30.19%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$26.08 ₡11.8K

-48.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$53.0 ₡23.9K

-64.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$56.8 ₡25.7K

8.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$23.76 ₡10.7K

-27.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$9.76 ₡4,412

-6.35%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$536 ₡242.1K

31.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$12.4K ₡5.6M

27.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$63.3 ₡28.6K

-6.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$51.9 ₡23.4K

-32.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$124 ₡56.2K

-7.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$106 ₡47.9K

-20.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$767 ₡346.6K

-19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$606 ₡273.7K

-28.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,515 ₡684.6K

36.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$948 ₡428.5K

59.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,950 ₡881.1K

86.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,471 ₡664.7K

-65.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Acosta: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $767 in Acosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acosta pays 190% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $52.0 in Acosta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $351 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

Phuket vs Acosta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Acosta differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,566 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Acosta earns 190% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $767 in Acosta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Acosta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $52.0 in Acosta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,566 in Acosta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Acosta. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Acosta 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 Acosta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.