Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Altos

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $249 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Altos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Altos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $249 in Altos.

Phuket $1,278
Altos $249

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $373 in Altos.

Phuket $2,216
Altos $373

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $497 in Altos.

Phuket $3,154
Altos $497

Living in Phuket is roughly 414% more expensive than in Altos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Altos 82% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.48 ₲2,851

245.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.91 ₲5,437

60.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.98 ₲5,842

53.06%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.88 ₲11.2K

11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.98 ₲35.7K

218.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.45 ₲20.6K

-4.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.63 ₲33.6K

93.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.38 ₲14.2K

23.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.31 ₲7,827

29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.43 ₲8,537

57.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.84 ₲11.0K

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.16 ₲6,931

30.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.39 ₲8,296

-0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.17 ₲6,969

-8.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.87 ₲5,166

-40.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$0.96 ₲5,729

337.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.11 ₲48.4K

131.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.73 ₲4,344

149.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$0.84 ₲4,983

238.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.39 ₲2,302

271.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$11.80 ₲70.4K

380.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.71 ₲10.2K

76.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.72 ₲4,266

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.12 ₲6,710

31.25%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$19.1K ₲113.9M

40.22%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$23.8K ₲142.2M

11.98%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$34.79 ₲207.5K

176.95%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.91 ₲47.2K

42.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$13.81 ₲82.4K

22.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.58 ₲21.3K

109.50%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$25.46 ₲151.9K

144.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,480 ₲8.8M

182.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$998 ₲6.0M

204.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$491 ₲2.9M

2.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Altos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Altos

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Altos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Altos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Altos

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Altos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Altos

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Altos

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇾 Altos

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

07:18 7:18 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

4,763

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,656 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Altos 16,790 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Altos

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Altos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altos is about 81% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $373 in Altos 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.

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

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 79% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $249 in Altos versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Altos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.