Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chon Buri

For one person, living is cheaper in Chon Buri: $814 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Chon Buri
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Chon Buri Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Chon Buri

🇹🇭 Thailand

$814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Chon Buri

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Chon Buri actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $814 in Chon Buri.

Phuket $1,208
Chon Buri $814

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,358 in Chon Buri.

Phuket $2,027
Chon Buri $1,358

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,903 in Chon Buri.

Phuket $2,845
Chon Buri $1,903

Living in Phuket is roughly 48% more expensive than in Chon Buri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Chon Buri 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$1.88 ฿63.0

134.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$16.18 ฿541

99.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.67 ฿256

14.21%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.77 ฿59.1

59.89%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.74 ฿24.75

21.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.35 ฿11.60

34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.77 ฿59.3

44.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.90 ฿96.8

32.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.49 ฿49.76

16.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.30 ฿43.31

13.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.22 ฿40.78

23.77%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.92 ฿64.2

13.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$12.38 ฿414

59.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.44 ฿81.5

36.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$10.33 ฿345

8.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.56 ฿119

-19.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$0.93 ฿31.14

82.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.45 ฿81.9

-10.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.63 ฿54.4

25.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.99 ฿66.5

-27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.04 ฿34.82

32.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.75 ฿25.22

42.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.45 ฿15.01

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.35 ฿146

-2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$13.97 ฿467

33.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.61 ฿53.8

10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.80 ฿60.2

58.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.99 ฿33.10

128.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$2.31 ฿77.3

30.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.52 ฿50.9

-30.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$6.10 ฿204

-36.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.32 ฿44.07

9.85%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$26.6K ฿889.2K

-1.05%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$22.2K ฿743.1K

21.17%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$83.6 ฿2,795

15.26%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$9.07 ฿303

21.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$23.73 ฿793

-27.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$46.24 ฿1,545

12.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$13.98 ฿467

-20.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$6.56 ฿219

19.05%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$727 ฿24.3K

-23.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$11.0K ฿367.4K

5.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$6.05 ฿202

961.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$36.20 ฿1,210

-20.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$72.8 ฿2,431

31.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$54.7 ฿1,828

60.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$531 ฿17.8K

38.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$251 ฿8,398

83.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,096 ฿36.6K

91.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$721 ฿24.1K

66.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,662 ฿55.6K

109.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,462 ฿48.9K

72.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$590 ฿19.7K

-15.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

85.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chon Buri: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Chon Buri

$251 30.9% 45.6% $211

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Chon Buri

$218 26.8% 18.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Chon Buri

$116 14.3% 6.5% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Chon Buri

$76 9.4% 38.6% $48

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Chon Buri

$78 9.6% 35.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Chon Buri

$59 7.3% 12.4% $8.4

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Chon Buri

$14 * 1.7% 64.8% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $531 in Chon Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chon Buri pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Chon Buri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $218 per month, with Chon Buri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Chon Buri

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

70,364

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Chon Buri 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Chon Buri

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Chon Buri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chon Buri wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chon Buri the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Chon Buri. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $531 in Chon Buri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $727 in Chon Buri. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chon Buri – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $814 in Chon Buri versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chon Buri but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chon Buri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chon Buri delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $814 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chon Buri hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Chon Buri 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 Chon Buri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.