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 $810 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,241 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,671 in Assela.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than Assela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Assela 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.45 ETB 695

4.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$34.91 ETB 5,449

34.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$6.45 ETB 1,006

37.05%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$1.27 ETB 199

136.22%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$0.63 ETB 98.2

17.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.47 ETB 73.5

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$0.98 ETB 153

148.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.92 ETB 456

23.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.44 ETB 225

56.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$1.33 ETB 208

38.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$2.13 ETB 332

5.16%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$2.47 ETB 386

-6.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$6.94 ETB 1,083

183.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$13.57 ETB 2,118

-73.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$13.14 ETB 2,051

-0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$6.55 ETB 1,023

-48.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$0.97 ETB 151

69.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$2.23 ETB 348

8.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$0.98 ETB 153

107.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.69 ETB 108

126.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$1.84 ETB 288

-18.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$0.70 ETB 109

45.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.67 ETB 105

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.89 ETB 608

14.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$5.74 ETB 896

228.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$0.99 ETB 155

79.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$1.92 ETB 300

43.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$1.42 ETB 222

119.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$0.29 ETB 45.32

244.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$1.96 ETB 305

618.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.29 ETB 201

4.65%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$54.4K ETB 8.5M

-50.01%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$53.4K ETB 8.3M

-38.34%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$157 ETB 24.4K

-20.20%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$12.19 ETB 1,902

11.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$128 ETB 20.0K

-85.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$5.74 ETB 896

60.10%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$80.1 ETB 12.5K

771.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$40.2K ETB 6.3M

-61.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$46.86 ETB 7,314

23.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$76.3 ETB 11.9K

-53.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$92.7 ETB 14.5K

22.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$113 ETB 17.6K

-23.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-68.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Assela: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Assela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $264 per month, with Assela cheaper across the board.

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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,215 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 $698 in Phuket versus $80.1 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 $35.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $810 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 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.