Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Aja Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Aja

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $456 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $738 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $1,019 in Aja, rent included.

Phuket costs about 174% more than Aja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Aja are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Aja 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.49 E£178

30.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$15.55 E£794

196.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.52 E£231

95.58%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.50 E£76.7

104.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.31 E£16.07

135.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.10 E£4.88

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.15 E£59.0

111.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.88 E£147

31.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.83 E£42.26

172.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.61 E£31.25

196.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.70 E£35.97

221.43%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.46 E£74.6

54.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.43 E£175

468.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.24 E£217

-13.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.57 E£437

52.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.47 E£75.0

119.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.55 E£28.04

194.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.42 E£21.69

466.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.40 E£20.35

407.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.37 E£19.10

313.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.41 E£20.68

265.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.22 E£11.16

345.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.19 E£9.81

173.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.94 E£99.3

128.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.30 E£322

190.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.31 E£66.8

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.81 E£92.3

48.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.16 E£8.22

781.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.41 E£21.11

658.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.29 E£14.78

258.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$1.93 E£98.6

631.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.30 E£15.56

336.67%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$35.8K E£1.8M

-22.31%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$33.0K E£1.7M

0.67%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$11.99 E£612

921.18%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$6.54 E£334

107.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$10.65 E£544

75.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$22.66 E£1,157

166.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.89 E£148

213.84%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$89.8 E£4,582

687.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,881 E£96.0K

740.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$27.07 E£1,382

116.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$48.11 E£2,456

-26.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$111 E£5,650

4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$51.3 E£2,620

63.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$187 E£9,550

234.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$98.6 E£5,035

351.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$308 E£15.7K

563.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$180 E£9,187

729.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$839 E£42.9K

314.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$431 E£22.0K

497.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.67

-68.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Aja: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $187 in Aja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $122 – making Aja 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

Phuket vs Aja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 174% more than Aja, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $684 in Aja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,250 in Phuket and $456 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $706 per month in Phuket and $89.8 in Aja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aja, where all-in costs run around $456, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Aja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aja costs $456 versus $1,250 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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