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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $241 in Altos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $362 in Altos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $484 in Altos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 420% more expensive than in Altos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.48 ₲2,901

370.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.63 ₲3,780

187.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.02 ₲6,170

120.59%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.96 ₲11.8K

14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.15 ₲37.1K

217.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.44 ₲20.7K

6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$5.56 ₲33.6K

134.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.42 ₲14.6K

33.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.27 ₲7,682

27.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.43 ₲8,626

66.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.76 ₲10.6K

15.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.17 ₲7,033

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.62 ₲9,762

-7.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.21 ₲7,318

-19.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.51 ₲3,097

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.87 ₲47.5K

132.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.69 ₲4,155

169.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$0.77 ₲4,636

248.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.39 ₲2,337

261.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$12.17 ₲73.4K

-3.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.79 ₲4,743

293.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.68 ₲4,080

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.17 ₲7,050

11.97%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.1K ₲115.4M

45.40%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$23.2K ₲139.8M

43.29%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$35.35 ₲213.2K

246.36%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$7.80 ₲47.0K

74.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$13.82 ₲83.3K

35.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.59 ₲21.7K

152.65%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$25.40 ₲153.2K

130.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,496 ₲9.0M

132.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,005 ₲6.1M

156.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$494 ₲3.0M

1.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-46.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Altos: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 420% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% 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 4% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $241 in Altos versus $1,250 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 420% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.