Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $1,735 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
Learn more

Costa Rica Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,735

/mo nomad

🙂 Solo nomad: Phuket is 34.6% cheaper than Costa Rica without rent, and 31.4% cheaper with rent.

🙂 Family of 3: Phuket is 34.8% cheaper than Costa Rica without rent, and 23.4% cheaper with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$11.78 ₡5,312

-63.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$55.5 ₡25.0K

-41.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$10.72 ₡4,831

-21.46%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$4.49 ₡2,023

-37.42%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$2.33 ₡1,051

-62.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$1.81 ₡815

-74.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$3.23 ₡1,455

-19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$4.42 ₡1,992

-17.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$2.30 ₡1,037

-25.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$3.55 ₡1,600

-59.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.71 ₡1,221

-42.44%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$4.05 ₡1,825

-48.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$9.92 ₡4,473

96.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$10.49 ₡4,729

-67.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$13.56 ₡6,111

-17.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$5.13 ₡2,312

-44.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.68 ₡758

-3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$3.63 ₡1,639

-38.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$3.24 ₡1,463

-33.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$3.40 ₡1,534

-56.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$3.09 ₡1,394

-56.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$1.11 ₡501

-3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$2.64 ₡1,192

-80.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$5.43 ₡2,446

-19.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$15.63 ₡7,048

20.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$2.75 ₡1,238

-36.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.27 ₡1,472

-14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$1.07 ₡480

102.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$65.3 ₡29.4K

-65.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$2.18 ₡981

38.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$2.03 ₡916

-47.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$8.82 ₡3,977

-57.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$1.53 ₡688

-6.54%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$32.8K ₡14.8M

-19.61%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$36.0K ₡16.2M

-27.16%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$93.4 ₡42.1K

3.49%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$30.19 ₡13.6K

-62.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$57.1 ₡25.7K

-70.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$65.1 ₡29.3K

-18.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$22.13 ₡9,976

-49.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$8.09 ₡3,645

-5.44%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$740 ₡333.8K

-25.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$12.6K ₡5.7M

-10.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$75.5 ₡34.0K

-15.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$54.6 ₡24.6K

-47.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$127 ₡57.4K

-24.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$107 ₡48.3K

-17.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$833 ₡375.3K

-11.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$641 ₡289.1K

-28.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$1,776 ₡800.8K

18.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$1,191 ₡536.9K

-0.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$2,437 ₡1.1M

43.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$1,631 ₡735.2K

52.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$1,033 ₡465.8K

-51.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.56

-41.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Costa Rica

$641 36.7% 40% $183

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Costa Rica

$379 21.7% 41.4% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Costa Rica

$181 10.3% 44.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Costa Rica

$164 9.4% 31.5% $39

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Costa Rica

$222 12.7% 86% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Costa Rica

$81 4.6% 19.3% $13

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Costa Rica

$82 4.7% 109% $43

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

04:37 4:37 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

5,044,197

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Costa Rica 18,020 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Costa Rica

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 other spots: cost of living compared

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