Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Coronado

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,342 in Coronado, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Coronado outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Coronado

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,342

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Coronado

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,342 in Coronado.

Phuket $1,278
Coronado $1,342

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,171 in Coronado.

Phuket $2,216
Coronado $2,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,999 in Coronado.

Phuket $3,154
Coronado $2,999

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Coronado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$11.95 PAB 11.95

-62.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$54.9 PAB 54.9

-40.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.98 PAB 8.98

-1.89%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.83 PAB 3.83

-26.11%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.22 PAB 1.22

-28.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.91 PAB 0.91

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.03 PAB 1.03

148.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.48 PAB 2.48

48.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.88 PAB 1.88

-11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.53 PAB 1.53

-4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.31 PAB 2.31

-9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$11.93 PAB 11.93

59.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.84 PAB 6.84

-51.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.00 PAB 9.00

21.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.89 PAB 0.89

89.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.94 PAB 2.94

-23.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.97 PAB 2.97

-29.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-18.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.89 PAB 1.89

-26.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.56 PAB 2.56

-58.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.31 PAB 8.31

126.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.69 PAB 0.69

163.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$0.75 PAB 0.75

278.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.72 PAB 0.72

101.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.49 PAB 1.49

102.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.52 PAB 1.52

-32.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.91 PAB 0.91

61.54%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$33.5K PAB 33.5K

-20.44%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$168 PAB 168

-42.64%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$20.91 PAB 20.91

-46.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$58.0 PAB 58.0

-70.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$60.0 PAB 60.0

12.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.34 PAB 3.34

124.55%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$44.21 PAB 44.21

41.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$64.3 PAB 64.3

33.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$762 PAB 762

-6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$567 PAB 567

-13.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,234 PAB 1,234

56.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,305 PAB 1,305

9.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,001 PAB 2,001

52.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$456 PAB 456

10.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Coronado: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Coronado

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Coronado

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Coronado

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Coronado

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Coronado

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Coronado

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Coronado

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $762 in Coronado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $55 in Coronado. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $213, with Coronado cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇦 Coronado

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

21:23 9:23 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,444

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Coronado 18,180 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Coronado

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 Coronado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Coronado. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $762 in Coronado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,342 in Coronado – Phuket is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Shoppers in Coronado pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Phuket gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Coronado are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.