Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cali Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $744 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,224 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,704 in Cali.

Living in Phuket is roughly 70% more expensive than Cali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cali 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.65 COP 13.0K

28.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$29.25 COP 104.3K

55.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$7.36 COP 26.2K

14.54%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.61 COP 5,744

81.99%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.94 COP 3,347

-26.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.55 COP 1,975

-32.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.06 COP 3,768

127.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.56 COP 9,114

45.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.22 COP 4,340

82.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.53 COP 5,455

19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.21 COP 4,312

79.34%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.46 COP 8,764

-10.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.29 COP 15.3K

360.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.47 COP 19.5K

-33.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.60 COP 27.1K

78.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.40 COP 8,555

36.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.97 COP 3,468

65.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.20 COP 4,266

100.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.27 COP 4,540

63.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.88 COP 3,142

73.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.11 COP 3,942

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.75 COP 2,675

32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.65 COP 2,319

-21.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.90 COP 10.3K

52.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$11.48 COP 40.9K

68.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.10 COP 3,925

61.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.84 COP 6,572

47.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.67 COP 2,403

104.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$20.20 COP 72.0K

-43.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.54 COP 5,476

96.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.88 COP 6,696

-47.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$9.80 COP 34.9K

43.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.93 COP 3,298

46.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$21.4K COP 76.2M

31.87%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.3K COP 108.1M

8.49%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$80.9 COP 288.5K

50.36%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.78 COP 31.3K

54.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$23.99 COP 85.5K

-23.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$19.60 COP 69.9K

207.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.79 COP 52.7K

15.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.87 COP 17.3K

78.44%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$226 COP 805.6K

206.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$6,039 COP 21.5M

159.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$63.7 COP 227.1K

-6.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$44.16 COP 157.4K

-21.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$78.6 COP 280.0K

45.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$89.5 COP 319.1K

-6.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$234 COP 833.3K

162.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$186 COP 664.1K

134.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$609 COP 2.2M

243.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$408 COP 1.5M

270.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,101 COP 3.9M

240.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$890 COP 3.2M

193.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$494 COP 1.8M

2.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.58

-53.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cali: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $234 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $182 per month, with Cali 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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 3% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $234 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $226 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $744 in Cali versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali 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 Cali 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 Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.