Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chaiyaphum Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chaiyaphum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $864 in Chaiyaphum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,465 in Chaiyaphum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,067 in Chaiyaphum.

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than Chaiyaphum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Chaiyaphum 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.25 ฿40.97

270.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$31.00 ฿1,014

51.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.13 ฿201

44.21%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.21 ฿39.45

147.93%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.47 ฿15.33

57.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.29 ฿9.58

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.51 ฿82.0

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.97 ฿130

-9.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.87 ฿61.2

20.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.40 ฿45.91

31.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.45 ฿47.46

54.48%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.55 ฿50.7

49.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$18.63 ฿609

5.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.09 ฿101

18.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.21 ฿301

42.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.52 ฿115

-3.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.63 ฿20.64

160.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.31 ฿75.4

4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.83 ฿59.7

10.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.58 ฿51.5

-1.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.44 ฿47.07

4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.02 ฿33.42

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.32 ฿10.48

53.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.44 ฿145

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$17.19 ฿562

9.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.86 ฿60.7

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.39 ฿111

-18.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.96 ฿31.48

45.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.06 ฿34.77

194.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.14 ฿37.41

-12.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.02 ฿197

134.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.13 ฿36.88

19.47%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$36.4K ฿1.2M

-25.37%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.4K ฿927.6K

16.06%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$44.78 ฿1,464

179.10%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$11.71 ฿383

15.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$12.51 ฿409

48.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$49.90 ฿1,632

23.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$12.30 ฿402

36.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.79 ฿255

17.97%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$595 ฿19.5K

17.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$13.3K ฿436.3K

16.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$58.8 ฿1,923

-1.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$38.62 ฿1,263

-8.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$106 ฿3,455

7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$92.1 ฿3,012

-6.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$429 ฿14.0K

43.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$289 ฿9,443

54.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$814 ฿26.6K

151.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$649 ฿21.2K

129.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,125 ฿69.5K

77.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,514 ฿49.5K

74.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$465 ฿15.2K

12.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.84

-8.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chaiyaphum: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $429 in Chaiyaphum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 13% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Chaiyaphum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $249 per month, with Chaiyaphum 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 Chaiyaphum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chaiyaphum is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 13% 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 $429 in Chaiyaphum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $595 in Chaiyaphum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chaiyaphum – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $864 in Chaiyaphum versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chaiyaphum but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chaiyaphum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chaiyaphum is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Chaiyaphum 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 Chaiyaphum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.