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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $997 in Chita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,564 in Chita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,131 in Chita.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than in Chita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Chita 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.77 ₽995

-62.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$36.90 ₽3,119

-12.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.03 ₽510

48.09%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.35 ₽199

23.40%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.26 ₽107

-30.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.63 ₽52.8

-23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.59 ₽134

47.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.94 ₽248

26.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.16 ₽98.3

61.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.69 ₽58.0

113.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.30 ₽110

19.23%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.47 ₽124

42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$11.66 ₽985

68.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.06 ₽428

-32.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$10.54 ₽891

7.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$1.63 ₽138

82.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.78 ₽151

-5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.87 ₽158

18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$2.79 ₽236

-22.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.66 ₽56.0

130.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.54 ₽45.98

148.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.45 ₽123

-22.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.66 ₽55.8

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.97 ₽251

43.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.27 ₽699

130.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.14 ₽96.0

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.19 ₽185

26.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.47 ₽39.56

374.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.34 ₽198

29.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.32 ₽26.92

218.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$5.98 ₽505

-34.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.87 ₽73.8

71.26%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$30.2K ₽2.6M

-12.07%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$36.4K ₽3.1M

-25.71%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$119 ₽10.1K

-13.90%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$5.94 ₽502

90.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$8.29 ₽701

109.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$38.02 ₽3,213

36.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$26.27 ₽2,220

-57.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.71 ₽483

34.68%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$322 ₽27.2K

74.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$6,462 ₽546.1K

78.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$64.3 ₽5,434

-1.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$52.6 ₽4,445

-43.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$103 ₽8,720

-4.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$109 ₽9,195

-18.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$460 ₽38.8K

60.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$318 ₽26.9K

51.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$825 ₽69.7K

155.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$578 ₽48.8K

112.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,220 ₽187.6K

62.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,471 ₽124.3K

76.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$420 ₽35.5K

17.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-72.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Chita: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $460 in Chita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% 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 $37.00 in Chita. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $205, with Chita cheaper for home cooking.

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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $997 including rent). Chita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $460 in Chita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $997 in Chita – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $997 in Chita versus $1,232 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 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.