Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Atenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,548 in Atenas, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Atenas

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,548 in Atenas, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Atenas $1,548

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,527 in Atenas, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Atenas $2,527

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,506 in Atenas, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Atenas $3,506

Phuket is about 17% cheaper than Atenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Atenas is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.66 ₡4,361

-53.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$56.4 ₡25.4K

-42.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.79 ₡5,321

-25.28%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$3.83 ₡1,727

-26.11%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$2.77 ₡1,249

-68.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$1.94 ₡875

-74.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$3.38 ₡1,525

-24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.44 ₡2,005

-17.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.39 ₡1,079

-30.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$3.07 ₡1,384

-52.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$2.25 ₡1,016

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$3.48 ₡1,571

-39.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$10.74 ₡4,847

77.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.55 ₡4,310

-65.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.41 ₡4,701

4.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$4.52 ₡2,039

-35.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.62 ₡731

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.65 ₡1,197

-15.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.45 ₡1,107

-15.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$3.81 ₡1,719

-60.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$2.60 ₡1,173

-46.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$1.12 ₡505

-4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$3.11 ₡1,405

-83.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.04 ₡2,726

-30.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$18.82 ₡8,497

-0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.63 ₡1,188

-30.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.67 ₡1,204

6.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.21 ₡998

-34.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.50 ₡1,126

20.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.57 ₡709

-35.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$8.68 ₡3,917

-57.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.50 ₡677

-2.00%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$33.7K ₡15.2M

-20.65%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$42.1K ₡19.0M

-36.54%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$94.0 ₡42.4K

2.55%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$35.77 ₡16.1K

-68.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$52.3 ₡23.6K

-67.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$47.83 ₡21.6K

40.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$11.06 ₡4,995

-2.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.55 ₡3,407

-0.66%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$975 ₡440.3K

-51.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$6,667 ₡3.0M

68.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$72.0 ₡32.5K

-13.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$54.2 ₡24.5K

-47.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$126 ₡57.1K

-25.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$130 ₡58.8K

-34.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$666 ₡300.6K

7.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$550 ₡248.2K

-10.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$1,537 ₡693.8K

25.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,244 ₡561.7K

14.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,330 ₡600.6K

-62.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.62

-35.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Atenas: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Atenas

$550 35.5% 12% $59

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Atenas

$358 23.2% 34.6% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Atenas

$182 11.8% 46.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Atenas

$172 11.1% 41.4% $50

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Atenas

$203 13.1% 66.9% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Atenas

$63 4.1% 23.5% $19

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Atenas

$19 * 1.2% 72.8% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $666 in Atenas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Atenas are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $56 in Atenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $358 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇷 Atenas

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

00:27 12:27 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

7,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Atenas 18,010 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Atenas

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 Atenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Atenas is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,322 in Atenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $716 in Phuket and $666 in Atenas. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $56 in Atenas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Atenas, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Atenas at $1,548. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Atenas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,548 in Atenas. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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