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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $778 in Crato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,248 in Crato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,719 in Crato.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than Crato, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Crato 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.27 R$26.28

-12.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.70 R$133

75.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.46 R$32.23

36.84%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.74 R$8.66

72.41%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.08 R$5.37

-31.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.62 R$3.08

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.78 R$8.90

37.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.77 R$13.85

30.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.99 R$4.94

128.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.51 R$7.53

21.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.14 R$5.70

96.49%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.93 R$9.65

20.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.43 R$42.09

133.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.55 R$17.69

2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.12 R$35.54

83.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.05 R$10.24

65.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.26 R$6.30

30.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.20 R$5.97

100.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.46 R$7.26

39.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.15 R$5.74

35.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.06 R$5.31

41.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.69 R$3.45

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.66 R$3.30

-25.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.16 R$10.79

106.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.96 R$34.72

171.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.22 R$6.06

45.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.08 R$10.39

32.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.86 R$4.27

62.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$38.50 R$192

-70.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.05 R$5.26

197.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.71 R$3.57

40.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.51 R$32.47

116.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.08 R$5.40

25.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$21.0K R$104.8K

29.42%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.3K R$136.0K

20.77%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$59.9 R$299

108.72%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.71 R$68.4

-1.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$19.01 R$94.9

-2.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$22.91 R$114

168.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.47 R$107

-21.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.46 R$32.25

42.26%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$267 R$1,335

161.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,453 R$32.2K

141.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$48.07 R$240

20.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$41.93 R$209

-15.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$76.2 R$380

48.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$64.4 R$321

34.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$317 R$1,580

94.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$220 R$1,099

102.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$576 R$2,875

255.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$422 R$2,105

253.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,458 R$7,274

159.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,188 R$5,930

122.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Crato: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $317 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $172 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 58% 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 $1,847 in Phuket and $1,167 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: $616 in Phuket versus $317 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 235% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $267 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $778 in Crato versus $1,232 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 $778 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 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.