Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chita Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chita

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,176 in Chita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,772 in Chita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,368 in Chita.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than Chita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Chita 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$12.84 ₽937

-63.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$19.22 ₽1,403

136.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.94 ₽360

70.65%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.85 ₽135

58.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.54 ₽39.69

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.29 ₽20.84

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.25 ₽91.1

92.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.94 ₽141

91.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.49 ₽109

49.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.52 ₽38.03

251.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.94 ₽142

11.86%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.96 ₽143

12.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.94 ₽1,091

32.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.42 ₽469

-43.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.92 ₽943

4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.86 ₽209

14.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.51 ₽184

-35.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.47 ₽180

-2.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.85 ₽135

12.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.74 ₽54.2

106.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.49 ₽35.47

202.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$3.77 ₽275

-73.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.70 ₽51.2

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.95 ₽215

49.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.79 ₽57.5

125.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.16 ₽84.7

133.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.48 ₽35.37

185.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$25.62 ₽1,870

-55.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.16 ₽158

39.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.58 ₽42.58

70.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.68 ₽487

111.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.79 ₽57.9

72.15%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$32.2K ₽2.3M

-12.31%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.3K ₽1.4M

70.90%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$122 ₽8,888

-0.06%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$6.41 ₽468

111.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$10.34 ₽755

77.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$31.15 ₽2,274

93.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.70 ₽1,073

16.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.19 ₽452

40.39%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$261 ₽19.1K

165.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,874 ₽501.7K

128.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$62.3 ₽4,550

-4.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$51.7 ₽3,776

-32.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$75.3 ₽5,496

52.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$90.6 ₽6,609

-8.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$638 ₽46.6K

-3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$437 ₽31.9K

0.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,126 ₽82.2K

86.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$819 ₽59.8K

84.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,728 ₽199.2K

37.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,086 ₽152.2K

25.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$786 ₽57.3K

-35.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-73.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chita: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $638 in Chita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chita pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Chita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $233 per month, with Chita 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 Chita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Chita differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,176 including rent). Chita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Chita earns 55% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $638 in Chita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chita – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,176 in Chita versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chita but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chita 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 Chita 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 Chita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.