Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arima Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arima

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,262 in Arima, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $2,162 in Arima, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $3,061 in Arima, rent included.

Phuket is about 2% cheaper than Arima, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Phuket and Arima are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Arima 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.12 TTD 68.1

-56.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$73.1 TTD 492

-55.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$8.88 TTD 59.8

0.56%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.77 TTD 25.36

-23.08%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.01 TTD 6.79

-12.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.76 TTD 5.11

-36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.80 TTD 12.10

30.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.92 TTD 19.65

27.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.39 TTD 16.08

-21.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.41 TTD 16.23

-39.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.84 TTD 19.09

-45.42%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.39 TTD 29.53

-52.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.70 TTD 45.06

192.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.38 TTD 42.90

-46.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.99 TTD 60.5

26.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.53 TTD 37.20

-46.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.30 TTD 15.47

-26.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.63 TTD 24.45

-39.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.95 TTD 33.33

-56.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.33 TTD 8.94

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.00 TTD 6.76

34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.40 TTD 9.42

-19.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.91 TTD 6.13

-39.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.82 TTD 32.43

-11.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$19.37 TTD 130

-1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.84 TTD 12.38

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.96 TTD 19.93

-6.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.06 TTD 7.11

110.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.78 TTD 5.22

288.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.75 TTD 5.06

36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$14.90 TTD 100

-73.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.12 TTD 7.54

33.04%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$27.2K TTD 183.3K

-2.42%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$36.1K TTD 243.1K

-25.20%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$91.8 TTD 617

11.68%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$44.02 TTD 296

-74.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$55.5 TTD 373

-68.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$52.4 TTD 353

-0.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.88 TTD 59.7

-13.40%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$179 TTD 1,205

213.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$10.9K TTD 73.2K

5.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$63.8 TTD 429

-1.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$43.62 TTD 293

-32.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$147 TTD 991

-33.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$74.4 TTD 501

18.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$517 TTD 3,476

42.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$366 TTD 2,463

31.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,044 TTD 7,023

101.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$876 TTD 5,891

40.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,188 TTD 7,994

-58.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.75

-3.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Arima: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $517 in Arima. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 141% higher in Arima, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $73.0 in Arima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $313 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Arima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arima costs about 2% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,893 in Arima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,232 in Phuket and $1,262 in Arima. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $561 per month in Phuket and $179 in Arima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Arima at $1,262. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arima it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,232 versus $1,262 in Arima. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arima makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.