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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $747 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,229 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,710 in Cali.

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than in Cali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.65 COP 11.9K

24.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$29.20 COP 94.9K

58.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.41 COP 24.1K

19.30%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.58 COP 5,130

93.67%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$0.95 COP 3,095

-23.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.60 COP 1,940

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$1.01 COP 3,297

140.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.61 COP 8,484

44.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$1.24 COP 4,029

82.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$1.47 COP 4,770

23.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.25 COP 4,076

80.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$2.48 COP 8,065

-9.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$4.33 COP 14.1K

350.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$5.36 COP 17.4K

-31.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

$7.49 COP 24.4K

74.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.49 COP 8,108

29.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$0.92 COP 2,986

76.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$1.15 COP 3,749

106.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$1.31 COP 4,260

54.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$0.89 COP 2,881

71.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.11 COP 3,593

35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$0.75 COP 2,427

30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$0.68 COP 2,211

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.91 COP 9,454

52.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$12.88 COP 41.9K

42.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.07 COP 3,478

73.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$1.86 COP 6,040

44.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.73 COP 2,386

93.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$20.17 COP 65.6K

-41.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$1.55 COP 5,043

100.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

$1.90 COP 6,171

-45.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$9.45 COP 30.7K

49.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$0.98 COP 3,190

33.67%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$21.9K COP 71.3M

26.83%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$29.6K COP 96.2M

12.23%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$83.3 COP 270.9K

46.95%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$8.94 COP 29.1K

52.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$24.55 COP 79.8K

-23.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$19.79 COP 64.3K

205.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$14.72 COP 47.9K

15.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.88 COP 15.9K

85.86%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$222 COP 720.7K

218.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$5,871 COP 19.1M

169.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$64.0 COP 208.1K

-8.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$43.51 COP 141.5K

-18.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$76.3 COP 248.1K

51.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$89.5 COP 291.1K

-6.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$241 COP 783.0K

159.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$188 COP 611.5K

136.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$615 COP 2.0M

231.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$398 COP 1.3M

274.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$1,258 COP 4.1M

176.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$990 COP 3.2M

160.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$554 COP 1.8M

-9.76%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cali: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $241 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $184 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 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Cali. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $241 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $222 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in Cali versus $1,250 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 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.