Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Curepe

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,361 in Curepe, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Curepe despite lower rent and utilities.

Phuket, Thailand
Curepe, Trinidad And Tobago
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Curepe
🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago
$1,361
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Curepe

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,361 in Curepe, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Curepe $1,361

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,374 in Curepe, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Curepe $2,374

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,387 in Curepe, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Curepe $3,387

Phuket is about 6% cheaper than Curepe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Curepe
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$10.53 TTD 71.1
-57.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$89.9 TTD 607
-63.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$8.69 TTD 58.7
1.38%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$3.78 TTD 25.55
-25.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.37
$1.03 TTD 6.97
-15.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.64
$0.75 TTD 5.07
-34.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$2.23 TTD 15.07
14.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.73 TTD 25.19
-1.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Curepe
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$2.45 TTD 16.55
-32.24%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.25
$2.47 TTD 16.69
-40.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$2.87 TTD 19.38
-47.74%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$4.45 TTD 30.06
-53.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$6.60 TTD 44.56
188.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$10.04 TTD 67.8
-67.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$11.74 TTD 79.2
-7.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$5.38 TTD 36.32
-45.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$3.09 TTD 20.86
-45.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$3.73 TTD 25.21
-39.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$4.35 TTD 29.38
-52.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$2.12 TTD 14.31
-28.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.47
$1.87 TTD 12.65
-26.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.91
$1.83 TTD 12.37
-41.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.49
$1.35 TTD 9.11
-61.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$6.04 TTD 40.78
-30.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$19.30 TTD 130
-2.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$2.28 TTD 15.42
-20.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$2.94 TTD 19.84
-3.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Curepe
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$0.58 TTD 3.90
150.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.01 TTD 6.83
199.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.29
$1.23 TTD 8.30
-17.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$14.46 TTD 97.6
-74.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$1.17 TTD 7.92
25.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.4K
$37.1K TTD 250.5K
-27.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.5K
$41.8K TTD 281.9K
-36.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Curepe
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,247
$90.1 TTD 608
6.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$52.5 TTD 355
-78.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$56.9 TTD 384
-70.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Curepe
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,266
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$8.91 TTD 60.2
-15.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Curepe
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$395 TTD 2,665
20.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.6K
$10.9K TTD 73.3K
3.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Curepe
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,102
$55.4 TTD 374
12.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$51.4 TTD 347
-44.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,178
$145 TTD 980
-35.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,892
$102 TTD 691
-16.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Curepe
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$747 TTD 5,039
-4.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$438 TTD 2,954
12.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$1,457 TTD 9,838
32.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$1,096 TTD 7,395
30.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Curepe
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$520 TTD 3,508
-3.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.75
-3.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Curepe: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Curepe
$438 10.9% $53
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Curepe
$355 33.5% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Curepe
$200 60.3% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Curepe
$159 30.8% $38
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Curepe
$181 49.1% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Curepe
$18 * 78.3% $64
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Curepe
$9.5 * 86.6% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $747 in Curepe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Curepe, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $90 in Curepe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $355 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇹🇹 Curepe
🕒 Local time
12:25 12:25 PM
01:25 1:25 AM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
17,758
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

TTD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.75 TTD (1 TTD = 0.148 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 TTD (1 TTD = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Curepe 16,970 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Curepe

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 Curepe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Curepe compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,361 in Curepe – Phuket comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Curepe?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,041 in Curepe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Curepe?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $716 in Phuket and $747 in Curepe. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $90 in Curepe. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 33% more in Curepe, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $1,500 go in Phuket compared to Curepe?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,361 in Curepe, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Curepe?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,361 in Curepe. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Phuket and Curepe?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Curepe makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?