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 $717 in Alga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,158 in Alga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,599 in Alga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 76% more expensive than Alga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.77 ₸3,776

-39.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$27.29 ₸13.3K

66.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.67 ₸3,240

26.39%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$1.82 ₸886

60.99%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$0.93 ₸452

-25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.52 ₸254

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.14 ₸556

111.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.88 ₸913

97.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.09 ₸531

104.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$0.41 ₸200

346.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.41 ₸687

53.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.52 ₸737

45.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$8.73 ₸4,239

126.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.57 ₸2,222

-20.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$7.27 ₸3,531

86.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.33 ₸647

146.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.89 ₸918

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.93 ₸936

24.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$1.91 ₸930

8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$0.58 ₸282

163.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$0.40 ₸195

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$0.99 ₸480

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$0.73 ₸353

-30.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.97 ₸958

123.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$7.30 ₸3,548

165.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$0.92 ₸448

93.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$1.54 ₸748

75.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.19 ₸94.2

621.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$0.93 ₸453

224.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$0.63 ₸304

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$4.78 ₸2,321

194.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$0.47 ₸227

189.36%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$19.8K ₸9.6M

42.75%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.5K ₸11.9M

34.32%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$51.0 ₸24.8K

138.81%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$8.50 ₸4,130

59.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$12.87 ₸6,250

42.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$32.57 ₸15.8K

84.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$4.36 ₸2,118

99.31%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$210 ₸102.1K

230.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$4,962 ₸2.4M

216.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$57.1 ₸27.7K

4.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$34.88 ₸16.9K

-0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$89.3 ₸43.4K

28.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$77.8 ₸37.8K

7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$315 ₸152.8K

94.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$206 ₸100.2K

111.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$516 ₸250.6K

305.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$383 ₸186.2K

293.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$1,012 ₸491.5K

270.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$819 ₸397.7K

219.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Alga: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $315 in Alga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Alga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 76% 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 $1,076 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: $613 in Phuket versus $315 in Alga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $717 in Alga – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $717 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 $717 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 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.