Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Akbuk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Akbuk

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $1,101 in Akbuk, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,737 in Akbuk, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $2,373 in Akbuk, rent included.

Phuket costs about 15% more than Akbuk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Akbuk are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Akbuk 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.82 ₺372

-42.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$45.46 ₺2,161

0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.04 ₺335

24.43%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.66 ₺126

11.65%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.74 ₺82.7

-60.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.46 ₺22.00

-15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.07 ₺146

-17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.18 ₺199

-10.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.89 ₺42.11

141.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.92 ₺43.67

97.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.48 ₺70.5

47.30%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.74 ₺82.5

29.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.91 ₺376

152.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.24 ₺249

-30.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$19.51 ₺927

-30.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.15 ₺54.8

181.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.13 ₺101

-23.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.09 ₺51.9

113.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.14 ₺54.3

81.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.61 ₺28.91

154.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.43 ₺20.23

239.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.27 ₺60.5

-22.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.35 ₺16.46

37.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.14 ₺102

103.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$12.75 ₺606

45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.63 ₺77.3

14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.05 ₺97.5

29.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.67 ₺32.02

111.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$29.95 ₺1,423

-61.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.04 ₺49.55

204.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.11 ₺52.7

-7.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$7.58 ₺360

83.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.25 ₺59.6

7.20%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$40.2K ₺1.9M

-30.81%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$42.0K ₺2.0M

-20.58%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$47.99 ₺2,281

156.41%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$7.67 ₺365

79.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$15.64 ₺743

17.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$42.67 ₺2,028

42.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.24 ₺297

42.15%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$619 ₺29.4K

11.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$8,856 ₺420.9K

78.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$77.5 ₺3,684

-23.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$45.19 ₺2,148

-23.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$162 ₺7,683

-28.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$110 ₺5,246

-24.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$511 ₺24.3K

21.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$395 ₺18.8K

12.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$886 ₺42.1K

129.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$718 ₺34.1K

108.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,142 ₺54.3K

202.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$837 ₺39.8K

202.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

42.08

-87.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Akbuk: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $511 in Akbuk. 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 $45.00 in Akbuk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $218 – making Akbuk 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 Akbuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 15%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,652 in Akbuk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 34% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $45.00 in Akbuk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Akbuk, where all-in costs run around $1,101, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Akbuk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Akbuk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Akbuk. 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.