Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chaiyaphum

For one person, living is cheaper in Chaiyaphum: $907 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Chaiyaphum
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Chaiyaphum Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Chaiyaphum

🇹🇭 Thailand

$907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Chaiyaphum

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Chaiyaphum actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $907 in Chaiyaphum.

Phuket $1,208
Chaiyaphum $907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,524 in Chaiyaphum.

Phuket $2,027
Chaiyaphum $1,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,142 in Chaiyaphum.

Phuket $2,845
Chaiyaphum $2,142

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Chaiyaphum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Chaiyaphum 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$1.22 ฿40.76

260.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$35.18 ฿1,176

-8.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.34 ฿212

38.17%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.18 ฿39.33

139.83%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.47 ฿15.65

91.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.34 ฿11.33

38.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.75 ฿92.1

-7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.55 ฿152

-15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.84 ฿61.5

-5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.47 ฿49.05

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.41 ฿47.06

7.09%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.52 ฿50.9

42.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$17.24 ฿576

14.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$3.59 ฿120

-6.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$13.20 ฿441

-15.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.71 ฿124

-23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$0.58 ฿19.27

193.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.73 ฿91.3

-19.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.95 ฿65.3

5.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.68 ฿56.2

-13.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.57 ฿52.4

-12.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.23 ฿41.09

-13.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.31 ฿10.44

64.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.85 ฿162

-12.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$15.12 ฿505

22.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.83 ฿61.1

-2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$3.34 ฿112

-14.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.96 ฿32.19

135.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.02 ฿34.23

195.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.22 ฿40.70

-13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$6.11 ฿204

-36.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.08 ฿36.01

34.26%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$30.8K ฿1.0M

-14.48%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$27.1K ฿906.9K

-0.72%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$43.13 ฿1,442

123.46%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$11.24 ฿376

-1.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$11.69 ฿391

46.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$42.56 ฿1,422

22.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$14.12 ฿472

-20.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$7.66 ฿256

1.96%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$565 ฿18.9K

-1.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$16.5K ฿551.3K

-29.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$71.1 ฿2,377

-9.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$42.71 ฿1,427

-32.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$97.8 ฿3,267

-2.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$105 ฿3,498

-15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$438 ฿14.6K

68.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$301 ฿10.1K

53.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,076 ฿35.9K

94.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$700 ฿23.4K

71.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,795 ฿60.0K

94.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,513 ฿50.5K

66.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$451 ฿15.1K

11.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chaiyaphum: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Chaiyaphum

$301 33.2% 34.9% $161

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Chaiyaphum

$260 28.6% 3.3% $9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Chaiyaphum

$66 7.3% 47% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Chaiyaphum

$142 15.7% 14.5% $18

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Chaiyaphum

$69 7.6% 43.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Chaiyaphum

$58 6.4% 14.6% $9.9

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Chaiyaphum

$11 * 1.2% 72.2% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $438 in Chaiyaphum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 11% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Chaiyaphum. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $260, with Chaiyaphum cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Chaiyaphum

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

42,436

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Chaiyaphum 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Chaiyaphum

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and leisure. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $737 in Phuket versus $438 in Chaiyaphum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $565 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 $35.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $907 in Chaiyaphum versus $1,208 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.