Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Altos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Altos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $251 in Altos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $376 in Altos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $501 in Altos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 390% more expensive than in Altos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Altos 82% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.48 ₲2,824

289.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.89 ₲5,276

65.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.02 ₲6,040

51.96%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.97 ₲11.6K

6.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.16 ₲36.4K

218.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.40 ₲20.1K

0.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$5.55 ₲32.8K

105.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.39 ₲14.1K

24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.32 ₲7,772

27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.38 ₲8,160

60.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.83 ₲10.8K

18.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.16 ₲6,840

31.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.39 ₲8,214

-3.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.22 ₲7,175

-7.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.87 ₲5,137

-36.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$0.90 ₲5,309

373.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.11 ₲47.9K

135.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.68 ₲4,034

161.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$0.83 ₲4,877

234.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.42 ₲2,467

430.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$11.82 ₲69.8K

92.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.69 ₲9,962

79.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.68 ₲4,026

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.17 ₲6,885

27.35%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$19.1K ₲113.1M

38.83%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$23.9K ₲141.1M

13.13%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$35.67 ₲210.6K

187.27%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$7.99 ₲47.2K

41.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$13.78 ₲81.4K

26.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.52 ₲20.8K

118.47%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$25.13 ₲148.4K

150.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,503 ₲8.9M

140.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$997 ₲5.9M

160.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$497 ₲2.9M

-0.72%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Altos: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Altos pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 390% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Altos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% 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 92% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $251 in Altos versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Altos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Altos 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 Altos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 390% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.