Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cayo Coco Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cayo Coco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,205 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,658 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,110 in Cayo Coco.

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Cayo Coco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Cayo Coco 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.85 CUP 116

-7.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$14.73 CUP 353

209.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.07 CUP 170

23.90%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.02 CUP 24.39

191.18%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.05 CUP 49.17

-66.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.99 CUP 23.67

-60.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.03 CUP 48.78

24.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.95 CUP 70.8

27.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$3.01 CUP 72.3

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.97 CUP 23.30

87.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.01 CUP 48.32

8.46%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.50 CUP 83.9

-35.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.06 CUP 145

230.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.88 CUP 117

-25.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.18 CUP 244

33.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$5.10 CUP 122

-36.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.02 CUP 24.46

60.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.97 CUP 23.31

140.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.97 CUP 23.38

113.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.97 CUP 23.35

59.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.98 CUP 71.5

-51.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.02 CUP 24.59

-3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.03 CUP 24.64

-53.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.91 CUP 69.9

49.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.97 CUP 239

86.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.95 CUP 46.80

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.05 CUP 49.16

29.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$19.73 CUP 474

-41.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.03 CUP 24.67

207.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.02 CUP 24.42

0.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$20.03 CUP 481

-30.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.97 CUP 23.32

38.14%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$70.6K CUP 1.7M

-60.64%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$81.1K CUP 1.9M

-58.82%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$40.57 CUP 974

203.30%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$40.77 CUP 978

-66.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$219 CUP 5,267

-91.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$39.94 CUP 959

51.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$9.89 CUP 237

73.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$0.98 CUP 23.54

805.10%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$91.1 CUP 2,187

654.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$14.9K CUP 357.8K

5.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$39.55 CUP 949

49.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$30.45 CUP 731

13.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$75.0 CUP 1,799

53.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$81.5 CUP 1,956

2.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$393 CUP 9,437

58.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$431 CUP 10.3K

3.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,049 CUP 25.2K

93.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$617 CUP 14.8K

142.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$304 CUP 7,297

1036.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$348 CUP 8,351

627.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$20.02 CUP 481

2365.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-46.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $393 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2366% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $234 per month, with Cayo Coco 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 Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2366% higher in Phuket, 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: $621 in Phuket versus $393 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 71% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $91.1 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,205 in Cayo Coco versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cayo Coco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cayo Coco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cayo Coco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,205 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cayo Coco hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cayo Coco 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 Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.