Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $834 in Alga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,393 in Alga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,952 in Alga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than in Alga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Alga 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$9.51 ₸4,281

-51.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,067

$32.68 ₸14.7K

-1.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿288

$7.35 ₸3,309

18.10%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.0

$2.14 ₸965

35.51%

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

$0.84 ฿27.95

$1.06 ₸478

-20.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.20

$0.55 ₸246

-10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.2

$1.35 ₸608

83.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.11 ₸952

76.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.4

$1.24 ₸558

52.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.65

$0.42 ₸190

235.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.7

$1.51 ₸679

7.28%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.2

$1.66 ₸747

34.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿657

$9.99 ₸4,498

98.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.53 ₸2,489

-37.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$8.61 ₸3,874

32.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.0

$1.47 ₸663

97.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.1

$2.19 ₸987

-21.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.3

$2.29 ₸1,030

-0.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.6

$2.15 ₸967

-0.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.84

$0.68 ₸305

116.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿47.03

$0.51 ₸231

178.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.34

$1.17 ₸528

-5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.81

$0.96 ₸434

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿143

$2.34 ₸1,052

84.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿616

$7.71 ₸3,471

141.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

$1.18 ₸530

52.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.3

$1.89 ₸852

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.4

$0.21 ₸94.2

971.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿778

$16.90 ₸7,608

38.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

$1.05 ₸472

195.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.64

$0.70 ₸316

54.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$5.88 ₸2,646

-34.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.27

$0.63 ₸282

126.98%

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

$27.8K ฿920.3K

$26.3K ₸11.8M

5.81%

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

$27.0K ฿893.7K

$30.5K ₸13.7M

-11.48%

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

$105 ฿3,471

$63.7 ₸28.7K

64.62%

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

$11.39 ฿377

$10.03 ₸4,516

13.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿581

$15.28 ₸6,876

14.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,800

$41.30 ₸18.6K

31.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿379

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿258

$4.74 ₸2,132

64.14%

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

$576 ฿19.1K

$138 ₸62.2K

316.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.6K

$4,421 ₸2.0M

161.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,108

$53.6 ₸24.1K

18.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿964

$44.18 ₸19.9K

-34.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,187

$90.7 ₸40.8K

6.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,981

$88.2 ₸39.7K

2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.3K

$342 ₸153.8K

114.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

$224 ₸100.7K

123.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.4K

$655 ₸294.9K

224.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.5K

$487 ₸219.0K

157.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿117.0K

$1,065 ₸479.3K

231.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.8K

$849 ₸382.2K

208.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

19.25

-71.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Alga: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $342 in Alga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Alga. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $198, with Alga cheaper for home cooking.

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 Alga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alga wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,251 in Alga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $342 in Alga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $834 in Alga – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alga runs roughly 39% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $834 in Alga versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Alga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alga delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $834 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alga hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Alga 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 Alga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.