Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chanthaburi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chanthaburi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $883 in Chanthaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,411 in Chanthaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,938 in Chanthaburi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than Chanthaburi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Chanthaburi 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.21 ฿39.65

282.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$31.25 ฿1,022

49.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.30 ฿206

40.32%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.50 ฿49.14

100.00%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.57 ฿18.57

29.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.29 ฿9.60

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.77 ฿58.0

37.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.98 ฿130

-9.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.58 ฿51.7

43.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.35 ฿44.05

36.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.93 ฿30.47

140.86%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.15 ฿70.4

7.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$18.28 ฿598

7.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.01 ฿98.3

21.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.23 ฿302

41.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.42 ฿112

-0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.79 ฿58.7

-8.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.21 ฿72.3

9.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.86 ฿60.8

9.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.22 ฿39.93

27.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.45 ฿47.35

3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.02 ฿33.43

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.52 ฿17.10

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.33 ฿142

2.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$16.96 ฿555

11.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.74 ฿56.8

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.34 ฿109

-17.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.90 ฿29.36

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$31.04 ฿1,015

-63.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.11 ฿36.32

181.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.99 ฿32.40

1.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.25 ฿204

125.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.23 ฿40.27

9.76%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$37.7K ฿1.2M

-27.86%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.1K ฿789.7K

36.33%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$87.8 ฿2,872

42.30%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.79 ฿124

258.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$10.69 ฿350

73.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$49.71 ฿1,626

23.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$12.04 ฿394

39.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.48 ฿179

67.70%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$598 ฿19.6K

16.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$13.1K ฿426.7K

19.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$7.62 ฿249

658.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$37.09 ฿1,213

-4.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$69.8 ฿2,282

62.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$21.98 ฿719

292.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$422 ฿13.8K

45.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$284 ฿9,273

57.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$813 ฿26.6K

151.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$662 ฿21.6K

125.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,137 ฿69.9K

76.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,529 ฿50.0K

73.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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 Chanthaburi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $422 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Chanthaburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $251 per month, with Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Chanthaburi differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $883 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,324 in Chanthaburi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $422 in Chanthaburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chanthaburi runs roughly 170% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $598 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $883 in Chanthaburi versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chanthaburi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chanthaburi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.