Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chon Buri Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chon Buri

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $824 in Chon Buri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,380 in Chon Buri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,936 in Chon Buri.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than in Chon Buri, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Chon Buri 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.04 ฿66.9

123.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$16.80 ฿552

94.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.49 ฿246

18.83%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.87 ฿61.4

49.73%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.71 ฿23.18

23.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.36 ฿11.68

36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.80 ฿59.1

32.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.81 ฿92.5

32.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.52 ฿50.1

17.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.34 ฿43.96

7.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.32 ฿43.32

19.70%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.98 ฿65.1

7.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$12.99 ฿427

53.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.53 ฿83.2

35.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.38 ฿341

9.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$3.52 ฿116

-16.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.02 ฿33.44

68.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.43 ฿80.0

-4.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.62 ฿53.2

28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.02 ฿66.3

-27.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.10 ฿36.28

23.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.85 ฿27.86

29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.46 ฿14.98

23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.66 ฿153

-8.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$14.26 ฿469

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.71 ฿56.1

9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.59 ฿85.1

12.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.94 ฿30.78

136.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.25 ฿40.98

142.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$1.62 ฿53.2

-33.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$3.97 ฿131

-1.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.29 ฿42.52

15.50%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$25.0K ฿821.3K

8.57%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$22.7K ฿746.1K

20.94%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$85.1 ฿2,796

20.84%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$9.41 ฿309

16.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$22.56 ฿742

-22.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$47.97 ฿1,577

11.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$14.16 ฿466

-20.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$6.82 ฿224

9.68%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$724 ฿23.8K

-23.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$11.1K ฿364.4K

6.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$6.09 ฿200

952.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$30.37 ฿998

-4.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$74.1 ฿2,437

29.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$54.7 ฿1,796

65.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$529 ฿17.4K

38.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$262 ฿8,624

90.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,230 ฿40.4K

69.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$709 ฿23.3K

70.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,011 ฿66.1K

78.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,609 ฿52.9K

56.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$608 ฿20.0K

-17.18%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chon Buri: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $529 in Chon Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chon Buri pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Chon Buri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $225 per month, with Chon Buri 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 Chon Buri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chon Buri wins on cost – living expenses run 52% 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 21% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $529 in Chon Buri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $724 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 $17.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $824 in Chon Buri versus $1,253 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 $824 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 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.