Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Caleta de Fuste Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Caleta de Fuste

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Phuket vs $1,579 in Caleta de Fuste, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,304 per month in Phuket vs $2,363 in Caleta de Fuste, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,339 per month in Phuket vs $3,148 in Caleta de Fuste, rent included.

Phuket is about 20% cheaper than Caleta de Fuste, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Phuket sits 5% below the global median, while Caleta de Fuste is 18% above โ€“ they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Phuket
Caleta de Fuste
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.66 เธฟ150
$12.07 โ‚ฌ10.30
-61.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.44 เธฟ1,496
$58.9 โ‚ฌ50.2
-21.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.68 เธฟ280
$10.25 โ‚ฌ8.74
-15.32%
Cappuccino
$2.95 เธฟ95.0
$2.28 โ‚ฌ1.94
29.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 เธฟ22.52
$2.10 โ‚ฌ1.79
-66.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 เธฟ12.70
$1.25 โ‚ฌ1.07
-68.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 เธฟ81.6
$2.81 โ‚ฌ2.39
-9.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.78 เธฟ122
$4.43 โ‚ฌ3.78
-14.67%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Caleta de Fuste
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.22 เธฟ71.5
$1.23 โ‚ฌ1.05
80.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.80 เธฟ57.8
$1.44 โ‚ฌ1.22
25.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 เธฟ70.4
$0.84 โ‚ฌ0.71
160.71%
Eggs
$2.31 เธฟ74.5
$3.35 โ‚ฌ2.85
-31.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.34 เธฟ623
$11.79 โ‚ฌ10.05
64.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.77 เธฟ121
$10.12 โ‚ฌ8.63
-62.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.22 เธฟ426
$17.22 โ‚ฌ14.69
-23.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 เธฟ107
$2.51 โ‚ฌ2.14
32.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 เธฟ53.1
$2.16 โ‚ฌ1.84
-23.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.29 เธฟ73.7
$2.23 โ‚ฌ1.91
2.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.99 เธฟ64.1
$1.76 โ‚ฌ1.50
13.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 เธฟ49.24
$1.80 โ‚ฌ1.53
-15.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 เธฟ48.77
$2.74 โ‚ฌ2.34
-44.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 เธฟ33.12
$1.85 โ‚ฌ1.58
-44.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 เธฟ16.57
$0.97 โ‚ฌ0.83
-47.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.41 เธฟ142
$4.67 โ‚ฌ3.98
-5.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.41 เธฟ625
$7.16 โ‚ฌ6.11
171.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 เธฟ58.0
$1.26 โ‚ฌ1.07
42.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 เธฟ86.4
$3.84 โ‚ฌ3.28
-30.21%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Phuket
Caleta de Fuste
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.43 เธฟ46.11
$1.64 โ‚ฌ1.40
-12.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.70 เธฟ377
$34.04 โ‚ฌ29.03
-65.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 เธฟ97.9
$3.49 โ‚ฌ2.98
-12.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 เธฟ33.37
$2.13 โ‚ฌ1.82
-51.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.68 เธฟ441
$22.72 โ‚ฌ19.38
-39.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 เธฟ41.85
$1.48 โ‚ฌ1.26
-12.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K เธฟ898.9K
$39.3K โ‚ฌ33.6K
-29.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.0K เธฟ1.1M
$30.6K โ‚ฌ26.1K
8.13%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Caleta de Fuste
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$123 เธฟ3,962
$81.1 โ‚ฌ69.1
51.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.82 เธฟ445
$21.20 โ‚ฌ18.08
-34.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.86 เธฟ608
$30.04 โ‚ฌ25.62
-37.22%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Caleta de Fuste
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.2 เธฟ1,970
$48.49 โ‚ฌ41.36
26.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.81 เธฟ541
$15.27 โ‚ฌ13.03
10.09%
Cinema Ticket
$8.87 เธฟ286
$9.27 โ‚ฌ7.91
-4.31%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Caleta de Fuste
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$696 เธฟ22.4K
$529 โ‚ฌ451
31.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K เธฟ517.4K
$6,400 โ‚ฌ5,459
150.90%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Caleta de Fuste
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.3 เธฟ1,910
$100 โ‚ฌ85.5
-40.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.85 เธฟ1,123
$51.1 โ‚ฌ43.54
-31.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 เธฟ3,646
$107 โ‚ฌ91.5
5.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.1 เธฟ2,740
$144 โ‚ฌ123
-40.82%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Caleta de Fuste
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$615 เธฟ19.8K
$844 โ‚ฌ720
-27.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$448 เธฟ14.4K
$681 โ‚ฌ581
-34.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,085 เธฟ67.2K
$1,336 โ‚ฌ1,139
56.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,496 เธฟ48.2K
$998 โ‚ฌ851
49.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,734 เธฟ120.3K
$3,526 โ‚ฌ3,008
5.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,662 เธฟ85.8K
$2,391 โ‚ฌ2,039
11.34%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Caleta de Fuste
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$534 เธฟ17.2K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
3.43
55.39%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Caleta de Fuste: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $615 in Phuket versus $844 in Caleta de Fuste. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Phuket versus $59 in Caleta de Fuste. Groceries tell a different story โ€“ $291 in Phuket vs $282 in Caleta de Fuste โ€“ so Caleta de Fuste wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Caleta de Fuste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caleta de Fuste cheaper than Phuket?
Yes โ€“ Caleta de Fuste is pricier by about 24%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Phuket and $2,369 in Caleta de Fuste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 191% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $696 per month in Phuket and $529 in Caleta de Fuste. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Caleta de Fuste?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,270, than in Caleta de Fuste at $1,579. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caleta de Fuste it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Caleta de Fuste more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket โ€“ lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Caleta de Fuste?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison โ€“ central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Caleta de Fuste makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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