Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chone

For one person, living is cheaper in Chone: $732 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Chone
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Chone Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Chone

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Chone

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 Chone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $732 in Chone.

Phuket $1,207
Chone $732

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,240 in Chone.

Phuket $2,037
Chone $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,748 in Chone.

Phuket $2,867
Chone $1,748

Living in Phuket is roughly 65% more expensive than in Chone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Chone 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.77 $3.77

21.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$31.29 $31.29

3.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.91 $5.91

44.67%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.48 $2.48

9.68%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.86 $0.86

9.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.69 $0.69

-28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.07 $2.07

25.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.08 $4.08

-6.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.12 $1.12

55.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.52 $1.52

-5.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.57 $1.57

-2.55%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.00 $2.00

8.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$6.64 $6.64

188.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$4.55 $4.55

-27.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$6.32 $6.32

76.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.55 $1.55

90.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.97 $0.97

73.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.04 $1.04

121.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.03 $1.03

106.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.13 $1.13

35.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.03 $1.03

32.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.71 $0.71

57.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.08 $1.08

-49.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.01 $5.01

-14.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$8.56 $8.56

112.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.63 $1.63

6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.76 $2.76

1.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.31 $0.31

616.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$17.28 $17.28

27.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.32 $1.32

120.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.23 $1.23

-17.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$8.58 $8.58

-55.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.86 $0.86

73.26%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$21.7K $21.7K

23.14%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$33.0K $33.0K

-19.06%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$41.43 $41.43

139.85%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$13.59 $13.59

-17.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$25.32 $25.32

-31.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$33.32 $33.32

56.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$15.43 $15.43

-29.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$6.33 $6.33

19.59%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$207 $207

169.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$5,025 $5,025

128.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$55.5 $55.5

13.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$47.21 $47.21

-39.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$109 $109

-11.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$79.7 $79.7

10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$319 $319

128.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$169 $169

172.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$788 $788

165.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$451 $451

171.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,272 $1,272

171.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$807 $807

208.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.05

-44.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chone: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Chone

$169 23.1% 63.3% $291

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Chone

$177 24.2% 33.8% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Chone

$80 11% 37.2% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Chone

$131 17.9% 5.7% $7.1

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Chone

$102 14% 15.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Chone

$46 6.3% 31.8% $21

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Chone

$26 3.6% 33.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $319 in Chone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Chone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $177 per month, with Chone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Chone

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

14:24 2:24 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

44,751

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Chone 19,200 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Chone

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 Chone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chone wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,811 in Phuket and $1,097 in Chone to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $319 in Chone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $732 in Chone – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chone runs roughly 28% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $732 in Chone versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chone but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $732 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chone hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Chone 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 Chone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.