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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $879 in Chanthaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,412 in Chanthaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,944 in Chanthaburi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than in Chanthaburi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Chanthaburi 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.25 ฿41.80

258.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,523

$31.05 ฿1,037

46.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.32 ฿211

38.61%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$1.56 ฿52.2

90.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.93

$0.57 ฿18.87

21.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.27 ฿8.99

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.74 ฿58.1

45.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.94 ฿132

-4.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.7

$1.51 ฿50.5

42.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.33 ฿44.58

36.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$0.89 ฿29.65

144.94%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$2.20 ฿73.3

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$18.37 ฿614

8.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.08 ฿103

17.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$9.10 ฿304

49.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.44 ฿115

-5.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.71 ฿57.0

-4.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$2.28 ฿76.1

2.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$1.93 ฿64.4

7.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.17 ฿38.98

32.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.60

$1.47 ฿49.18

-0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.89

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.52 ฿17.44

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$17.83 ฿596

4.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$1.83 ฿61.3

1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$3.31 ฿111

-19.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.33

$0.96 ฿32.06

47.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$31.09 ฿1,038

-62.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.06 ฿35.47

199.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.46

$0.99 ฿33.14

4.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$6.04 ฿202

129.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.89

$1.19 ฿39.76

12.61%

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

$27.8K ฿928.2K

$37.4K ฿1.2M

-25.65%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$25.1K ฿836.9K

33.22%

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

$123 ฿4,110

$89.6 ฿2,994

37.29%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$3.76 ฿126

266.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$10.66 ฿356

71.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,027

$48.72 ฿1,627

24.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$12.38 ฿413

38.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.62 ฿188

57.83%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$599 ฿20.0K

14.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.0K

$13.4K ฿447.1K

17.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,981

$7.76 ฿259

664.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,159

$36.76 ฿1,228

-5.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,847

$70.6 ฿2,356

63.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,798

$21.54 ฿719

288.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$417 ฿13.9K

48.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$289 ฿9,669

54.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$818 ฿27.3K

148.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$657 ฿21.9K

127.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$1,777 ฿59.4K

94.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$1,758 ฿58.7K

43.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chanthaburi: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $417 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Chanthaburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $253 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $879 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,319 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: $621 in Phuket versus $417 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 169% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $599 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $879 in Chanthaburi versus $1,264 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 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.