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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,227 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,697 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,167 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Cayo Coco; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cayo Coco 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$5.11 CUP 123

-11.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$14.97 CUP 359

211.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$7.09 CUP 170

19.75%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$0.98 CUP 23.52

214.29%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.98 CUP 47.48

-65.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.03 CUP 24.62

-65.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.02 CUP 48.54

20.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.93 CUP 70.3

23.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$3.07 CUP 73.7

-28.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.98 CUP 23.63

84.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.98 CUP 47.44

12.63%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$3.54 CUP 85.0

-36.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$6.12 CUP 147

220.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$5.10 CUP 122

-27.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$10.15 CUP 244

32.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$4.85 CUP 116

-30.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.98 CUP 23.47

65.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$0.97 CUP 23.30

148.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.98 CUP 23.57

103.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.99 CUP 23.69

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$3.07 CUP 73.8

-52.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.02 CUP 24.43

-0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.02 CUP 24.44

-52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.06 CUP 73.4

39.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$9.83 CUP 236

94.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.94 CUP 46.58

-5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.97 CUP 47.21

39.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$19.87 CUP 477

-41.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.01 CUP 24.33

197.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.01 CUP 24.34

3.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$20.33 CUP 488

-31.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.99 CUP 23.71

30.30%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$69.8K CUP 1.7M

-59.83%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$81.5K CUP 2.0M

-58.92%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$39.66 CUP 952

207.56%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$40.34 CUP 968

-65.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$222 CUP 5,340

-91.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$40.72 CUP 977

50.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$10.15 CUP 244

65.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$0.98 CUP 23.44

807.14%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$90.1 CUP 2,163

667.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$14.8K CUP 354.7K

9.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$40.80 CUP 979

41.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$29.80 CUP 715

18.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$75.4 CUP 1,808

50.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$81.5 CUP 1,957

1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$403 CUP 9,675

50.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$422 CUP 10.1K

6.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,064 CUP 25.5K

90.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$612 CUP 14.7K

144.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$300 CUP 7,197

1095.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$354 CUP 8,503

629.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$19.96 CUP 479

2428.76%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $403 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2429% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $235 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 pays 2429% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $403 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 70% less than in Cayo Coco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Cayo Coco pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,227 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 $1,223 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Cayo Coco on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.