Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Aguadulce

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguadulce: $958 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Aguadulce
Learn more

Aguadulce Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Aguadulce

🇵🇦 Panama

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Aguadulce

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Aguadulce actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $958 in Aguadulce.

Phuket $1,278
Aguadulce $958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,533 in Aguadulce.

Phuket $2,216
Aguadulce $1,533

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,109 in Aguadulce.

Phuket $3,154
Aguadulce $2,109

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Aguadulce, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Aguadulce 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$11.61 PAB 11.61

-61.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$47.62 PAB 47.62

-31.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.79 PAB 7.79

13.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-29.78%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.99 PAB 1.99

-56.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.64 PAB 1.64

-70.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$3.26 PAB 3.26

-21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.05 PAB 4.05

-9.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.57 PAB 2.57

-43.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-56.90%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.72 PAB 2.72

-23.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$12.60 PAB 12.60

51.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.69 PAB 6.69

-50.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.57 PAB 10.57

3.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$4.08 PAB 4.08

-28.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-12.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.23 PAB 4.23

-46.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.06 PAB 4.06

-48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.51 PAB 3.51

-56.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$4.27 PAB 4.27

-67.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.37 PAB 2.37

-54.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.70 PAB 1.70

-69.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.10 PAB 6.10

-31.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.70 PAB 11.70

60.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.35 PAB 1.35

34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.71 PAB 2.71

4.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.26 PAB 0.26

457.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.43 PAB 2.43

24.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-44.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$21.59 PAB 21.59

-82.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.20 PAB 1.20

22.50%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$24.8K PAB 24.8K

8.14%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

25.90%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$131 PAB 131

-26.49%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$27.94 PAB 27.94

-59.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$48.23 PAB 48.23

-65.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$45.56 PAB 45.56

47.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$8.74 PAB 8.74

-14.19%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$548 PAB 548

-13.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$9,480 PAB 9,480

18.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$66.1 PAB 66.1

-5.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$48.83 PAB 48.83

-41.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$94.8 PAB 94.8

-0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$113 PAB 113

-24.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.39

-12.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aguadulce: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Aguadulce

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Aguadulce

$326 34.1% 22.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Aguadulce

$207 21.6% 66.5% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Aguadulce

$145 15.2% 19.3% $23

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Aguadulce

$203 21.2% 67.2% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Aguadulce

$63 6.6% 23.3% $19

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Aguadulce

$13 * 1.3% 82% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $48 in Aguadulce for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $326 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇦 Aguadulce

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

08:02 8:02 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

8,501

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.11 PAB (1 PAB = 0.899 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Aguadulce 18,220 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Aguadulce

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Aguadulce: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguadulce wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Aguadulce the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,437 in Aguadulce to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $958 in Aguadulce – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Aguadulce is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Aguadulce are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.