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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $458 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $744 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,029 in Aja, rent included.

Phuket costs about 176% 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

$4.70 ฿154

$3.63 E£188

29.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$15.93 E£827

184.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.66 E£242

80.90%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.43 E£74.4

104.90%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.31 E£16.17

122.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.10 E£4.97

270.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.20 E£62.5

100.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.05 E£158

21.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.91 E£47.32

145.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.62 E£32.40

195.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.65 E£33.56

233.85%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.45 E£75.5

52.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.40 E£177

480.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.36 E£226

-16.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.78 E£456

54.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.43 E£74.4

129.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.59 E£30.49

172.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.39 E£20.30

517.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.37 E£19.10

462.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.38 E£19.49

302.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.40 E£20.93

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.24 E£12.52

312.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.18 E£9.22

183.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.00 E£104

120.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.36 E£330

204.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.35 E£70.1

31.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.86 E£96.7

45.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.20 E£10.52

585.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.42 E£21.72

619.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.29 E£14.86

241.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.02 E£105

598.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.31 E£15.85

338.71%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$35.6K E£1.8M

-20.83%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.8K E£1.8M

-2.56%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$11.90 E£618

922.69%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$6.44 E£334

110.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$10.67 E£554

71.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$22.13 E£1,148

172.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.97 E£154

192.59%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$89.4 E£4,640

675.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$1,825 E£94.7K

759.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$27.84 E£1,445

113.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$49.14 E£2,551

-29.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$107 E£5,544

7.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$50.2 E£2,604

66.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$191 E£9,930

220.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$101 E£5,264

330.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$308 E£16.0K

580.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$177 E£9,162

755.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$794 E£41.2K

371.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$410 E£21.3K

537.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$313 E£16.2K

62.48%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Aja: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $191 in Aja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 62% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $124 – 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 176% 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $687 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 $1,265 in Phuket and $458 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $89.4 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 $458, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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 $458 versus $1,265 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.