Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Contenda Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Contenda

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Phuket vs $770 in Contenda, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,304 per month in Phuket vs $1,196 in Contenda, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,339 per month in Phuket vs $1,623 in Contenda, rent included.

Phuket costs about 65% more than Contenda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Contenda are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Contenda 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$3.58 R$17.82

30.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$10.92 R$54.3

325.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$6.42 R$31.90

35.20%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.92 R$9.53

53.65%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.17 R$5.80

-40.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.52 R$2.57

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.75 R$8.71

44.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$1.84 R$9.14

105.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$0.92 R$4.59

141.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.47 R$7.30

22.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.23 R$6.12

78.05%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.14 R$10.61

7.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$9.19 R$45.69

110.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$3.37 R$16.74

11.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$7.15 R$35.53

84.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.25 R$11.18

48.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.11 R$5.51

48.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.06 R$5.28

116.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.28 R$6.36

55.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.87 R$4.31

75.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.07 R$5.31

41.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.74 R$3.67

39.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.70 R$3.50

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.24 R$11.13

96.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$3.97 R$19.74

388.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.51 R$7.52

19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.78 R$8.86

50.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.89 R$4.42

60.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$38.43 R$191

-69.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.10 R$5.45

176.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.87 R$4.33

19.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$7.57 R$37.63

80.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.06 R$5.28

22.64%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$16.1K R$80.0K

73.23%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$19.6K R$97.3K

68.70%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$64.8 R$322

89.92%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$7.40 R$36.76

86.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$18.17 R$90.3

3.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$22.69 R$113

169.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$21.53 R$107

-21.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$7.03 R$34.93

26.17%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$454 R$2,258

53.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$9,441 R$46.9K

70.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$67.5 R$335

-12.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$63.9 R$318

-45.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$82.8 R$411

36.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$59.5 R$296

42.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$321 R$1,595

91.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$212 R$1,055

111.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$573 R$2,850

263.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$426 R$2,117

251.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,466 R$7,288

154.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,266 R$6,291

110.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.12

-56.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Contenda: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $615 in Phuket versus $321 in Contenda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Phuket versus $11 in Contenda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $167 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Contenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 65% more than Contenda, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Phuket and $1,155 in Contenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contenda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $696 per month in Phuket and $454 in Contenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 74% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contenda, where all-in costs run around $770, than in Phuket at $1,270. In Contenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Contenda costs $770 versus $1,270 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Contenda. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.