Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Boquete

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,438 in Boquete, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
Learn more

Boquete Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Boquete

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,438 in Boquete.

Phuket $1,278
Boquete $1,438

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,232 in Boquete.

Phuket $2,216
Boquete $2,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,026 in Boquete.

Phuket $3,154
Boquete $3,026

Living in Phuket costs roughly 11% less than in Boquete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Boquete is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.34 PAB 6.34

-29.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$40.22 PAB 40.22

-19.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.31 PAB 7.31

20.52%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.73 PAB 3.73

-24.13%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.34 PAB 1.34

-35.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-59.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.29 PAB 2.29

11.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.11 PAB 5.11

-27.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-9.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.14 PAB 2.14

-31.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.15 PAB 2.15

-30.23%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.51 PAB 2.51

-16.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$9.32 PAB 9.32

104.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.49 PAB 7.49

-55.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$15.36 PAB 15.36

-28.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.49 PAB 4.49

-34.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.99 PAB 0.99

70.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.28 PAB 4.28

-47.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.19 PAB 2.19

-5.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.15 PAB 2.15

-29.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.26 PAB 2.26

-38.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.20 PAB 2.20

-51.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.71 PAB 1.71

-69.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.02 PAB 5.02

-16.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.13 PAB 8.13

131.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.15 PAB 1.15

58.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.61 PAB 2.61

8.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$1.42 PAB 1.42

2.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$24.84 PAB 24.84

128.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.02 PAB 1.02

196.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$2.05 PAB 2.05

-50.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$29.44 PAB 29.44

-87.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.14 PAB 1.14

28.95%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$26.0K PAB 26.0K

3.07%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$22.4K PAB 22.4K

19.06%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$59.2 PAB 59.2

62.81%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$26.16 PAB 26.16

-56.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$43.16 PAB 43.16

-60.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$82.1 PAB 82.1

-18.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$17.19 PAB 17.19

-37.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.63 PAB 6.63

13.12%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$5,932 PAB 5,932

89.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$24.90 PAB 24.90

150.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$25.18 PAB 25.18

12.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$44.37 PAB 44.37

112.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$840 PAB 840

-14.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$687 PAB 687

-28.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,540 PAB 1,540

25.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,302 PAB 1,302

9.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,198 PAB 1,198

248.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,158 PAB 1,158

162.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$797 PAB 797

-36.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.5

-14.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Boquete: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Boquete

$687 47.8% 39.9% $196

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Boquete

$294 20.4% 10.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Boquete

$129 8.9% 3.2% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Boquete

$43 * 3% 65.1% $79

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Boquete

$149 10.4% 22.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Boquete

$95 6.6% 16% $13

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Boquete

$42 2.9% 40.8% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $840 in Boquete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boquete pays 59% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $40 in Boquete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $294 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇦 Boquete

🕒 Local time

12:11 12:11 PM

00:11 12:11 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

7,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, 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).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Boquete 18,160 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Boquete

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 Boquete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $840 in Boquete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Boquete. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,438 in Boquete – Phuket is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Boquete on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.