Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Crato Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Crato

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $781 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,240 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,699 in Crato.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than in Crato, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Crato 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.53 R$28.07

-18.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$27.17 R$138

67.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.20 R$31.46

41.29%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.77 R$8.98

67.80%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.07 R$5.45

-35.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.67 R$3.39

-41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.82 R$9.21

39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.73 R$13.85

37.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.00 R$5.10

115.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.52 R$7.70

19.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.13 R$5.75

92.92%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.97 R$9.98

14.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.35 R$42.37

139.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.72 R$18.85

-2.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.15 R$36.26

89.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.04 R$10.37

58.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.30 R$6.60

26.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.20 R$6.10

94.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.51 R$7.64

37.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.20 R$6.07

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.11 R$5.64

31.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.69 R$3.50

42.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.62 R$3.13

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.14 R$10.87

103.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.43 R$42.77

120.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.22 R$6.17

52.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.00 R$10.13

32.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.87 R$4.39

63.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$39.15 R$199

-70.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.09 R$5.54

190.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.74 R$3.76

39.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.25 R$31.73

122.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.07 R$5.44

25.23%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$20.4K R$103.6K

36.17%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$28.1K R$142.4K

18.92%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$59.5 R$302

106.77%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$13.56 R$68.8

1.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$18.82 R$95.5

-2.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$22.35 R$113

171.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$21.43 R$109

-19.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.43 R$32.63

37.95%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$274 R$1,389

151.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,561 R$33.3K

140.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$48.96 R$248

21.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$42.04 R$213

-17.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$76.5 R$388

50.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$65.7 R$333

27.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$310 R$1,575

100.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$213 R$1,082

109.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$588 R$2,983

245.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$425 R$2,156

252.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,686 R$8,558

104.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,224 R$6,213

106.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Crato: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $310 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $176 per month, with Crato 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 Crato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Crato wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Crato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,172 in Crato 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: $621 in Phuket versus $310 in Crato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Crato runs roughly 238% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $274 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $781 in Crato versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Crato but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Crato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Crato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $781 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Crato hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Crato 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 Crato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.