Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Apia

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $850 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$850

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Apia

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 Apia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $850 in Apia.

Phuket $1,294
Apia $850

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $2,289 in Apia.

Phuket $2,204
Apia $2,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $3,728 in Apia.

Phuket $3,115
Apia $3,728

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than in Apia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Apia 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$46.83 WST 130

-90.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,078

$35.74 WST 99.4

-9.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿290

$14.46 WST 40.22

-39.83%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿90.9

$2.94 WST 8.17

-7.48%

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

$0.93 ฿31.06

$1.79 WST 4.99

-48.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$1.40 WST 3.89

-64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$3.52 WST 9.79

-28.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.73 WST 10.36

-2.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.79 WST 4.96

-2.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$0.85 WST 2.37

70.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$1.83 WST 5.09

-18.03%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.5

$4.30 WST 11.95

-49.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿637

$0.93 WST 2.60

1952.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿113

$3.58 WST 9.94

-5.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$8.13 WST 22.61

34.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.2

$5.06 WST 14.08

-41.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$1.86 WST 5.18

-9.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.2

$1.84 WST 5.13

19.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿70.9

$4.43 WST 12.33

-52.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.68

$3.71 WST 10.31

-60.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.66

$1.06 WST 2.95

29.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.91

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$1.23 WST 3.41

-55.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$6.28 WST 17.46

-29.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿609

$16.68 WST 46.39

9.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$1.78 WST 4.94

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.2

$3.74 WST 10.41

-22.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$3.66 WST 10.19

-60.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,832

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$5.58 WST 15.51

-72.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.90

$5.42 WST 15.07

-85.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$22.23 WST 61.8

-82.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.65

$1.06 WST 2.96

40.57%

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

$26.9K ฿897.3K

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

$26.3K ฿879.4K

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

$97.8 ฿3,265

$17.96 WST 49.93

444.60%

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

$11.29 ฿377

$18.09 WST 50.3

-37.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿574

$35.80 WST 99.6

-51.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,281

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

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

$530 ฿17.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿626.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,059

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿943

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,204

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.6K

$1,764 WST 4,905

-20.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿139.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Apia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Apia

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Apia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Apia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Apia

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Apia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Apia

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Apia

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $36 in Apia. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $240, with Apia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇼🇸 Apia

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

10:15 10:15 AM

6 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

36,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Samoan Tala WST T

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 WST = 0.36 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

WST, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.36 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Apia 10,200 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Apia

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 Apia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $1,275 in Apia 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.

All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $850 in Apia – Apia is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Apia is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Apia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.