Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alexandria Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alexandria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $843 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,411 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,980 in Alexandria.

Living in Phuket is roughly 45% more expensive than in Alexandria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Alexandria 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$9.17 RON 41.92

-50.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$33.40 RON 153

39.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$6.78 RON 30.99

25.22%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$1.81 RON 8.26

70.17%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.92 RON 8.79

-64.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$1.64 RON 7.49

-78.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$2.37 RON 10.82

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.70 RON 12.35

34.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.41 RON 6.45

55.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.22 RON 5.56

48.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.41 RON 6.44

58.16%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$1.35 RON 6.15

65.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$5.22 RON 23.86

275.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.67 RON 21.35

-20.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$8.72 RON 39.82

54.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$0.91 RON 4.15

269.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.51 RON 6.88

7.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.12 RON 5.12

115.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.13 RON 5.18

76.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.45 RON 2.04

240.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$0.68 RON 3.10

113.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.44 RON 2.01

129.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.72 RON 3.30

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$5.39 RON 24.64

-20.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$5.49 RON 25.08

248.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$0.67 RON 3.07

174.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$0.88 RON 4.00

211.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.71 RON 3.23

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$23.24 RON 106

-49.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$0.48 RON 2.20

525.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.41 RON 1.87

156.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$5.20 RON 23.75

167.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.56 RON 7.14

-17.31%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$17.9K RON 81.6K

56.86%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$23.8K RON 108.6K

40.93%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$118 RON 540

3.23%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$7.10 RON 32.44

96.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$6.81 RON 31.10

177.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$37.31 RON 170

64.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$9.01 RON 41.15

86.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$4.57 RON 20.89

94.53%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$423 RON 1,932

63.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$6,887 RON 31.5K

134.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$68.7 RON 314

-15.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$33.94 RON 155

4.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$69.0 RON 315

64.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$69.8 RON 319

18.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$339 RON 1,547

79.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$234 RON 1,069

91.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$803 RON 3,671

152.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$585 RON 2,675

155.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$1,306 RON 5,967

174.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$829 RON 3,787

211.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$1,375 RON 6,282

-63.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.5

-18.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $339 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria pays 172% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $155 per month, with Alexandria cheaper across the board.

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 Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 172% lower in Alexandria. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $339 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,223 per month in Phuket versus $843 in Alexandria – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 98% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $843 in Alexandria versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $843 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.