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 $1,253 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,705 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,156 in Cayo Coco.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 2% less than in Cayo Coco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cayo Coco 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.85 CUP 116

-4.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$14.79 CUP 355

216.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.88 CUP 165

28.49%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.99 CUP 23.69

203.03%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.96 CUP 46.97

-62.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.99 CUP 23.66

-62.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.03 CUP 48.77

20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.95 CUP 70.8

22.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$3.05 CUP 73.1

-25.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.03 CUP 24.67

78.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.05 CUP 49.31

9.27%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.57 CUP 85.7

-35.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.15 CUP 148

219.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.93 CUP 118

-25.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.88 CUP 237

32.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.98 CUP 120

-31.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.97 CUP 23.31

69.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.98 CUP 23.44

145.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.01 CUP 24.35

100.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.02 CUP 24.37

52.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$3.02 CUP 72.5

-50.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.97 CUP 23.37

5.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.97 CUP 23.32

-49.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.93 CUP 70.2

51.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.08 CUP 242

87.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.95 CUP 46.77

-8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.05 CUP 49.22

34.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$19.77 CUP 474

-41.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.02 CUP 24.36

205.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.02 CUP 24.38

-1.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$19.66 CUP 472

-28.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.98 CUP 23.44

37.76%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$70.1K CUP 1.7M

-61.21%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$80.8K CUP 1.9M

-59.25%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$40.48 CUP 972

208.75%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$40.55 CUP 973

-66.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$219 CUP 5,256

-91.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$40.38 CUP 969

52.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$10.07 CUP 242

67.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$1.02 CUP 24.43

800.98%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$91.5 CUP 2,196

663.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$15.3K CUP 366.0K

2.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$39.50 CUP 948

46.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$30.22 CUP 725

16.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$74.5 CUP 1,789

51.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$80.8 CUP 1,939

6.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$396 CUP 9,499

55.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$425 CUP 10.2K

4.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,044 CUP 25.1K

96.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$617 CUP 14.8K

141.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$296 CUP 7,114

1174.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$352 CUP 8,454

651.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$20.16 CUP 484

2498.26%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $396 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2498% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 $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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 2% 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.

Phuket pays 2498% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $396 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 72% less than in Cayo Coco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $91.5 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 $1,253 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 2% less than in Cayo Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.