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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,146 in Chita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,745 in Chita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,344 in Chita.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than in Chita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Chita 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$12.75 ₽1,002

-64.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$18.74 ₽1,472

146.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.18 ₽407

70.66%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.86 ₽146

64.52%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.55 ₽43.25

32.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.31 ₽24.63

29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.28 ₽101

89.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.87 ₽147

102.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.46 ₽115

54.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.49 ₽38.82

269.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.91 ₽150

17.80%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.93 ₽151

16.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$15.16 ₽1,191

28.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.22 ₽489

-41.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$12.92 ₽1,015

1.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.86 ₽225

12.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.59 ₽203

-37.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.52 ₽198

-5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.93 ₽152

5.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.75 ₽58.7

104.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.52 ₽41.11

188.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$3.77 ₽296

-74.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.68 ₽53.2

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.90 ₽228

53.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.75 ₽58.8

148.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.12 ₽88.1

139.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.53 ₽41.91

166.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$24.92 ₽1,958

-53.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.16 ₽169

43.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.59 ₽46.46

76.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.84 ₽538

106.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.78 ₽61.5

67.95%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$31.3K ₽2.5M

-11.15%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.0K ₽1.5M

75.04%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$119 ₽9,344

2.94%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$6.73 ₽529

101.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$10.21 ₽802

83.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$31.96 ₽2,511

89.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$14.36 ₽1,128

18.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.22 ₽488

45.82%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$266 ₽20.9K

165.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,066 ₽555.1K

123.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$64.6 ₽5,078

-9.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$50.6 ₽3,972

-30.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$76.1 ₽5,979

51.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$89.4 ₽7,024

-6.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$644 ₽50.6K

-2.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$440 ₽34.6K

1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,127 ₽88.5K

81.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$841 ₽66.1K

77.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,572 ₽202.0K

35.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,934 ₽151.9K

33.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$660 ₽51.8K

-24.21%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chita: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $644 in Chita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chita pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Chita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $232 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 9% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $1,146 including rent). Chita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Chita. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $644 in Chita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,146 in Chita versus $1,250 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.