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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $727 in Alga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,164 in Alga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,601 in Alga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than in Alga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Alga 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.99 ₸3,749

-43.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,557

$27.47 ₸12.9K

68.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$6.56 ₸3,076

34.76%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.88 ₸883

62.77%

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

$0.73 ฿24.46

$0.97 ₸455

-24.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.42

$0.52 ₸242

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿82.0

$1.14 ₸535

113.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.83 ₸860

106.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.2

$1.08 ₸508

109.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿61.0

$0.41 ₸193

341.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿76.0

$1.43 ₸670

57.34%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.55 ₸727

45.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿658

$8.56 ₸4,014

127.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.70 ₸2,205

-22.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿440

$6.92 ₸3,247

88.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.36 ₸636

137.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.92 ₸899

-15.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.3

$1.91 ₸896

24.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$1.91 ₸894

6.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$0.56 ₸261

173.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.37 ₸174

305.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.99

$0.95 ₸445

3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.43

$0.75 ₸352

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿150

$1.98 ₸931

124.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿618

$7.27 ₸3,410

151.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.8

$0.92 ₸430

102.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.4

$1.52 ₸712

76.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.57

$0.19 ₸87.2

642.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.00 ₸468

211.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.14

$0.66 ₸311

57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿476

$4.83 ₸2,266

192.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.20

$0.47 ₸220

178.72%

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

$27.8K ฿937.7K

$20.5K ₸9.6M

35.72%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$24.8K ₸11.6M

34.10%

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

$122 ฿4,127

$50.9 ₸23.9K

140.50%

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

$13.59 ฿458

$8.99 ₸4,215

51.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿630

$12.96 ₸6,077

44.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,039

$33.21 ₸15.6K

82.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿306

$4.52 ₸2,121

100.66%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$215 ₸100.8K

228.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿532.8K

$4,843 ₸2.3M

226.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,974

$56.3 ₸26.4K

3.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,192

$35.22 ₸16.5K

0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,892

$88.8 ₸41.6K

30.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,823

$78.0 ₸36.6K

7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$316 ₸148.3K

97.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$205 ₸96.3K

116.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.8K

$524 ₸245.8K

289.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.3K

$386 ₸181.2K

286.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.4K

$1,048 ₸491.7K

232.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.9K

$875 ₸410.5K

194.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

18.39

-71.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Alga: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $316 in Alga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Alga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $170 per month, with Alga 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 Alga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alga wins on cost – living expenses run 72% 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 $1,875 in Phuket and $1,091 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: $626 in Phuket versus $316 in Alga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Phuket versus $727 in Alga – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $727 in Alga versus $1,250 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 $727 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 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.