Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cam Ranh

For one person, living is cheaper in Cam Ranh: $776 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Cam Ranh
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Cam Ranh Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Cam Ranh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cam Ranh

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $776 in Cam Ranh.

Phuket $1,294
Cam Ranh $776

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,217 in Cam Ranh.

Phuket $2,204
Cam Ranh $1,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,657 in Cam Ranh.

Phuket $3,115
Cam Ranh $1,657

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than in Cam Ranh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Cam Ranh 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$2.67 ₫68.8K

64.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$23.48 ₫604.6K

37.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$4.65 ₫119.6K

87.10%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$1.63 ₫41.9K

66.87%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.37 ₫9,548

151.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.21 ₫5,397

138.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$0.64 ₫16.4K

295.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$1.25 ₫32.2K

190.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.41 ₫36.4K

23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$0.48 ₫12.4K

202.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.00 ₫25.8K

50.00%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.43 ₫36.8K

51.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$12.22 ₫314.7K

56.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$3.15 ₫81.1K

7.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$11.21 ₫288.8K

-2.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$1.92 ₫49.5K

53.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.79 ₫20.4K

113.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$1.08 ₫27.9K

102.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$1.19 ₫30.5K

78.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$0.85 ₫21.9K

71.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$0.72 ₫18.6K

90.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$0.74 ₫19.1K

45.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$0.42 ₫10.8K

30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$1.51 ₫38.9K

193.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$11.54 ₫297.2K

58.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$0.57 ₫14.7K

210.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$1.80 ₫46.4K

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$0.28 ₫7,281

417.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

$6.64 ₫171.1K

726.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.55 ₫14.2K

174.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

$0.57 ₫14.6K

36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

$2.79 ₫71.8K

37.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$0.94 ₫24.2K

58.51%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$30.4K ₫783.4M

-11.65%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$27.8K ₫714.7M

-5.08%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$76.3 ₫2.0M

28.24%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$6.71 ₫172.9K

68.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$9.67 ₫249.0K

77.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$17.53 ₫451.4K

289.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$7.67 ₫197.4K

42.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$1.91 ₫49.3K

289.01%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$217 ₫5.6M

144.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$3,934 ₫101.3M

377.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$41.85 ₫1.1M

47.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$27.19 ₫700.2K

3.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$49.81 ₫1.3M

92.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$72.6 ₫1.9M

19.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$387 ₫10.0M

86.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$321 ₫8.3M

58.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$645 ₫16.6M

202.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$635 ₫16.3M

120.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$2,419 ₫62.3M

73.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$1,251 ₫32.2M

163.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.17

-31.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cam Ranh: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Cam Ranh

$321 41.4% 36.9% $188

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Cam Ranh

$181 23.3% 32.2% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Cam Ranh

$93 11.9% 26.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Cam Ranh

$86 11.1% 29.8% $37

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Cam Ranh

$63 8.1% 47.4% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Cam Ranh

$21 2.8% 74.3% $62

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Cam Ranh

$11 1.4% 83.1% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $387 in Cam Ranh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $23 in Cam Ranh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $181 per month, with Cam Ranh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇻🇳 Cam Ranh

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

220,630

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 25,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,829 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Cam Ranh 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Cam Ranh

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 Cam Ranh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cam Ranh wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cam Ranh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $1,164 in Cam Ranh to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $387 in Cam Ranh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $776 in Cam Ranh – Cam Ranh is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Ranh runs roughly 88% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

Expats usually find Cam Ranh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.