Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Assela Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Assela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $837 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,221 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,606 in Assela.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Assela 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.03 ETB 648

9.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$41.86 ETB 6,725

-22.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.33 ETB 1,018

41.07%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$0.95 ETB 153

205.26%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.63 ETB 101

39.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.65 ETB 104

-26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$0.81 ETB 130

190.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.29 ETB 368

62.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.06 ETB 170

76.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.18 ETB 189

24.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.12 ETB 340

-26.89%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.73 ETB 278

21.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.36 ETB 1,182

166.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.30 ETB 1,655

-66.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.05 ETB 1,454

25.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.24 ETB 842

-43.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.64 ETB 103

162.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.23 ETB 358

-0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.66 ETB 106

227.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.50 ETB 79.9

204.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.08 ETB 174

24.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.70 ETB 112

61.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.58 ETB 92.5

-5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$8.19 ETB 1,315

-47.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.70 ETB 915

234.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.70 ETB 113

154.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.21 ETB 195

129.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.33 ETB 214

127.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.29 ETB 46.93

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.99 ETB 319

95.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.97 ETB 156

53.61%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$54.1K ETB 8.7M

-50.85%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$54.8K ETB 8.8M

-50.64%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$203 ETB 32.6K

-49.43%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$7.47 ETB 1,200

51.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$215 ETB 34.6K

-91.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.83 ETB 615

100.78%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$137 ETB 22.0K

309.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$30.1K ETB 4.8M

-61.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$33.34 ETB 5,355

89.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$70.6 ETB 11.3K

-58.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$79.2 ETB 12.7K

23.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$82.3 ETB 13.2K

7.59%

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

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.5

-69.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Assela: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Assela. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $211, with Assela 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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,256 in Assela 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.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $137 in Assela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Assela – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $837 in Assela versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assela but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Assela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Assela 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 Assela 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 Assela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.