Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Assela

For one person, living is cheaper in Assela: $845 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Assela
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Assela Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Assela

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Assela

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $845 in Assela.

Phuket $1,278
Assela $845

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,216 in Assela.

Phuket $2,216
Assela $1,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,586 in Assela.

Phuket $3,154
Assela $1,586

Living in Phuket is roughly 51% more expensive than in Assela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Assela 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.05 ETB 652

10.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$42.56 ETB 6,847

-23.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.55 ETB 1,054

34.50%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$0.88 ETB 142

221.59%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.59 ETB 94.7

47.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.67 ETB 108

-26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$0.78 ETB 125

228.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.24 ETB 360

64.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.05 ETB 169

58.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.17 ETB 189

24.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.13 ETB 342

-29.58%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.75 ETB 282

19.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.57 ETB 1,217

151.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.25 ETB 1,649

-67.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.44 ETB 1,518

15.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$5.30 ETB 853

-44.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.63 ETB 102

168.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.23 ETB 358

0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.70 ETB 113

197.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.50 ETB 80.5

202.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.04 ETB 168

32.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.64 ETB 104

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.61 ETB 97.6

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$7.91 ETB 1,273

-46.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.60 ETB 901

235.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.71 ETB 115

156.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.22 ETB 197

132.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.31 ETB 210

130.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.27 ETB 43.25

277.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.01 ETB 324

83.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.89 ETB 142

65.17%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$55.3K ETB 8.9M

-51.60%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$55.0K ETB 8.8M

-51.43%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$207 ETB 33.3K

-53.48%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.35 ETB 1,183

53.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$211 ETB 34.0K

-92.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.72 ETB 598

101.61%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$635 ETB 102.1K

-25.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$29.9K ETB 4.8M

-62.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$32.84 ETB 5,285

89.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$71.7 ETB 11.5K

-60.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$79.8 ETB 12.8K

18.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$82.6 ETB 13.3K

3.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Assela: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Assela

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Assela

$213 25.2% 19.9% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Assela

$426 50.4% 242% $301

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Assela

$120 14.2% 1.5% $1.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Assela

$76 9% 37.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Assela

$7.4 * 0.9% 91% $75

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Assela

$2.7 * 0.3% 96.2% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $43 in Assela. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $213, with Assela cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇹 Assela

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

09:33 9:33 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

139,500

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Assela 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Assela

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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,268 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 $476 in Phuket versus $635 in Assela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $43 in Assela. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $845 in Assela versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

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 Assela are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.