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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,245 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,697 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,150 in Cayo Coco.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 1% less than in Cayo Coco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Cayo Coco 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.92 CUP 118

-10.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$15.29 CUP 367

110.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.86 CUP 165

30.17%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$0.98 CUP 23.48

195.92%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.05 CUP 49.25

-57.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.03 CUP 24.61

-53.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.98 CUP 47.52

18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.08 CUP 74.0

20.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$3.09 CUP 74.1

-39.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.98 CUP 23.49

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.05 CUP 49.18

-24.39%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.62 CUP 86.8

-41.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.89 CUP 141

232.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.10 CUP 123

-32.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$10.19 CUP 245

11.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.03 CUP 121

-40.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.99 CUP 23.67

69.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.03 CUP 24.70

114.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.99 CUP 23.66

118.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.02 CUP 24.43

49.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.95 CUP 70.8

-54.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.02 CUP 24.59

10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.01 CUP 24.28

-45.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.02 CUP 72.4

41.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$9.90 CUP 238

92.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.03 CUP 48.68

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.05 CUP 49.11

35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$19.98 CUP 480

13.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.98 CUP 23.42

209.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.97 CUP 23.34

5.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$19.67 CUP 472

-80.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.98 CUP 23.60

52.04%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$68.9K CUP 1.7M

-61.43%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$79.7K CUP 1.9M

-66.08%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$40.10 CUP 962

155.54%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$40.25 CUP 966

-71.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$224 CUP 5,371

-92.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$39.52 CUP 948

31.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$9.82 CUP 236

12.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$0.99 CUP 23.70

676.77%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$90.0 CUP 2,160

522.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$14.9K CUP 356.4K

-22.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$40.53 CUP 973

55.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$29.88 CUP 717

-1.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$73.5 CUP 1,764

33.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$80.4 CUP 1,929

10.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$394 CUP 9,451

87.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$417 CUP 10.0K

15.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,050 CUP 25.2K

100.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$631 CUP 15.2K

94.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$305 CUP 7,310

1087.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$356 CUP 8,547

630.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$19.79 CUP 475

2394.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $394 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2394% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $236 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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Cayo Coco. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2394% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $394 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 14% less than in Cayo Coco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $90.0 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,245 in Cayo Coco, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cayo Coco. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Cayo Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.