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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Phuket vs $450 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Phuket vs $718 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Phuket vs $987 in Aja, rent included.

Phuket costs about 178% more than Aja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Aja are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 9% lower, Aja 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.21 E£214

8.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,070

$13.85 E£705

135.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿292

$4.83 E£246

84.27%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.0

$1.48 E£75.4

89.19%

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

$0.88 ฿28.88

$0.37 E£18.83

137.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.05

$0.14 E£7.17

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.4

$1.29 E£65.6

85.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.83 E£144

31.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.6

$0.98 E£49.99

82.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.30

$0.61 E£30.98

136.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.0

$0.73 E£37.24

116.44%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.8

$1.41 E£71.6

51.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿654

$3.32 E£169

500.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.06 E£206

-15.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.03 E£459

25.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.8

$1.70 E£86.4

73.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.5

$0.77 E£39.24

123.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.3

$0.51 E£25.84

354.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$0.40 E£20.15

420.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.37 E£18.65

297.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.56

$0.32 E£16.52

325.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.05

$0.27 E£13.70

307.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.85

$0.22 E£11.11

159.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.25 E£114

89.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿604

$7.44 E£379

147.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.4

$1.25 E£63.5

49.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿95.8

$2.43 E£124

20.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.8

$0.21 E£10.63

957.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿751

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.4

$0.37 E£18.90

718.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.24

$0.23 E£11.91

365.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.70 E£86.7

131.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.95

$0.43 E£21.63

246.51%

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

$27.1K ฿890.1K

$34.4K E£1.8M

-21.14%

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

$27.5K ฿900.7K

$28.4K E£1.4M

-3.24%

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

$103 ฿3,373

$17.64 E£897

482.77%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$6.84 E£348

60.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿575

$13.08 E£665

33.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,756

$19.88 E£1,011

169.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$2.85 E£145

162.46%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$94.5 E£4,808

489.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿388.9K

$1,692 E£86.1K

600.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,102

$17.16 E£873

273.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿954

$49.94 E£2,540

-41.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,148

$102 E£5,165

-5.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,964

$49.06 E£2,495

84.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$129 E£6,539

468.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$79.7 E£4,053

527.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.6K

$279 E£14.2K

649.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$144 E£7,341

737.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.0K

$856 E£43.6K

320.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.4K

$413 E£21.0K

508.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

16.21

-65.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Aja: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Phuket versus $129 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 $33.00 in Phuket versus $14.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $130 – 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 178% 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 $1,880 per month in Phuket and $675 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 $1,253 in Phuket and $450 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $557 per month in Phuket and $94.5 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 $450, than in Phuket at $1,253. 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 $450 versus $1,253 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.