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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,611 in Acosta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,418 in Acosta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,225 in Acosta.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 22% less than in Acosta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Acosta is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.05 ₡4,524

-55.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$51.0 ₡23.0K

-10.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$9.71 ₡4,368

-9.78%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$3.67 ₡1,652

-19.07%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.98 ₡891

-65.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$1.58 ₡710

-75.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.93 ₡1,317

-13.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.56 ₡2,051

-17.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.97 ₡887

9.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$2.90 ₡1,307

-37.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$2.17 ₡977

0.46%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.91 ₡1,310

-22.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$10.17 ₡4,577

96.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.90 ₡4,003

-59.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$13.91 ₡6,261

-2.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$4.46 ₡2,006

-27.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.51 ₡681

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$4.22 ₡1,898

-44.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$3.16 ₡1,422

-34.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.47 ₡1,564

-55.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$2.97 ₡1,335

-50.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.94 ₡424

4.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$2.80 ₡1,259

-82.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$5.04 ₡2,269

-13.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$19.61 ₡8,823

-5.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$2.29 ₡1,032

-18.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.67 ₡1,203

-0.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.94 ₡425

51.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$25.33 ₡11.4K

-54.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.81 ₡814

75.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.86 ₡835

-44.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$7.74 ₡3,483

79.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.41 ₡636

-4.96%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$37.7K ₡17.0M

-26.22%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$32.5K ₡14.6M

2.62%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$93.7 ₡42.2K

31.28%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$26.28 ₡11.8K

-47.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$52.0 ₡23.4K

-64.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$57.4 ₡25.8K

5.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$23.69 ₡10.7K

-27.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$10.17 ₡4,577

-12.78%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$519 ₡233.7K

32.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$12.8K ₡5.8M

23.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$62.7 ₡28.2K

-5.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$52.1 ₡23.4K

-33.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$128 ₡57.6K

-10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$107 ₡48.1K

-21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$761 ₡342.5K

-18.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$608 ₡273.4K

-26.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$1,532 ₡689.5K

32.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$948 ₡426.8K

57.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,931 ₡869.0K

78.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,495 ₡672.9K

-66.99%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Acosta: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $761 in Acosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acosta pays 203% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Acosta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $360 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $1,611 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 203% lower in Acosta. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $761 in Acosta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% 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 $46.00 versus $51.0 in Acosta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,611 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 27% less than in Acosta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.