Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Andong Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Andong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,375 in Andong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,184 in Andong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,992 in Andong.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 10% less than in Andong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Andong is 3% above.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Phuket
Andong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63 āļŋ151
$7.30 â‚Đ10.8K
-36.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
$36.06 â‚Đ53.5K
29.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.84 āļŋ289
$5.33 â‚Đ7,903
65.85%
Cappuccino
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
$3.79 â‚Đ5,617
-20.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
$1.57 â‚Đ2,329
-52.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
$0.80 â‚Đ1,193
-53.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
$3.23 â‚Đ4,794
-24.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 āļŋ118
$4.78 â‚Đ7,090
-24.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Andong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
$2.17 â‚Đ3,219
4.15%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
$3.10 â‚Đ4,595
-40.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
$3.12 â‚Đ4,627
-28.21%
Eggs
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
$2.89 â‚Đ4,283
-19.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.67 āļŋ643
$10.60 â‚Đ15.7K
85.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.65 āļŋ119
$8.47 â‚Đ12.6K
-56.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 āļŋ428
$27.49 â‚Đ40.8K
-52.35%
Apples (1kg)
$3.39 āļŋ111
$7.77 â‚Đ11.5K
-56.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
$3.11 â‚Đ4,620
-47.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
$5.65 â‚Đ8,388
-57.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
$5.35 â‚Đ7,936
-62.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
$4.03 â‚Đ5,983
-61.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
$2.87 â‚Đ4,259
-47.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
$2.25 â‚Đ3,343
-54.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
$1.15 â‚Đ1,706
-57.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45 āļŋ145
$3.36 â‚Đ4,986
32.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.88 āļŋ617
$15.04 â‚Đ22.3K
25.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
$1.79 â‚Đ2,662
-0.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
$3.37 â‚Đ5,003
-18.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Andong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
$1.12 â‚Đ1,655
25.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.48 āļŋ376
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 āļŋ102
$3.44 â‚Đ5,098
-9.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
$0.56 â‚Đ834
78.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.09 āļŋ461
$8.64 â‚Đ12.8K
63.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
$1.16 â‚Đ1,717
16.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
$28.1K â‚Đ41.7M
-3.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
$24.8K â‚Đ36.7M
32.94%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Andong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 āļŋ4,087
$165 â‚Đ245.3K
-24.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57 āļŋ444
$34.65 â‚Đ51.4K
-60.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52 āļŋ606
$21.97 â‚Đ32.6K
-15.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Andong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
$48.37 â‚Đ71.8K
27.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84 āļŋ551
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.19 āļŋ300
$10.89 â‚Đ16.2K
-15.61%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Andong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$698 āļŋ22.8K
$419 â‚Đ622.0K
66.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
$23.4K â‚Đ34.7M
-33.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Andong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
$57.9 â‚Đ85.8K
-0.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
$46.61 â‚Đ69.1K
-24.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 āļŋ3,699
$81.2 â‚Đ120.4K
39.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
$119 â‚Đ176.0K
-27.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Andong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$616 āļŋ20.1K
$455 â‚Đ674.4K
35.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$446 āļŋ14.6K
$375 â‚Đ556.6K
18.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
$1,069 â‚Đ1.6M
91.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
$764 â‚Đ1.1M
95.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
$9,688 â‚Đ14.4M
-61.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
$6,216 â‚Đ9.2M
-57.39%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Andong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$524 āļŋ17.1K
$1,695 â‚Đ2.5M
-69.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
4.14
28.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Andong: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $455 in Andong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Andong pays 224% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Andong. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $427, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 Andong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Andong?
Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Andong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or Andong?
On paper, Andong earns 224% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket vs Andong?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $455 in Andong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and Andong?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $419 in Andong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket vs Andong?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $36.00 in Andong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or Andong?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,375 in Andong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Andong. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Andong?
Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.
How safe is Phuket compared to Andong?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Andong are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Andong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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