Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Da Lat Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Da Lat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $714 in Da Lat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,111 in Da Lat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,508 in Da Lat.

Living in Phuket is roughly 73% more expensive than Da Lat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Da Lat 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.22 ₫58.2K

108.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$22.13 ₫580.7K

111.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.48 ₫170.1K

36.42%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.52 ₫40.0K

97.37%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.01 ₫26.5K

-26.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.37 ₫9,791

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.72 ₫45.1K

41.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.41 ₫63.3K

49.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.57 ₫41.1K

43.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.25 ₫32.9K

47.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.18 ₫31.0K

89.83%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.57 ₫41.2K

47.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.55 ₫198.2K

160.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.04 ₫105.9K

-9.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$4.60 ₫120.7K

184.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.21 ₫110.5K

-19.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.91 ₫50.1K

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.17 ₫83.0K

-23.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.59 ₫41.8K

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.72 ₫45.1K

-9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.55 ₫40.7K

-3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.75 ₫19.7K

36.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.63 ₫16.6K

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.77 ₫46.3K

151.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.81 ₫205.0K

141.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.75 ₫19.7K

137.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.14 ₫56.1K

28.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.37 ₫9,580

278.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$6.70 ₫175.7K

71.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.59 ₫15.6K

428.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.65 ₫17.1K

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.75 ₫72.0K

412.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.93 ₫24.4K

45.16%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$34.7K ₫911.4M

-21.75%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.4K ₫824.9M

4.70%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$38.60 ₫1.0M

223.78%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.42 ₫116.0K

207.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$14.99 ₫393.1K

23.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$21.16 ₫555.1K

190.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$7.86 ₫206.2K

114.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$1.93 ₫50.7K

376.17%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$265 ₫7.0M

163.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$11.7K ₫307.3M

33.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$40.90 ₫1.1M

41.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$23.62 ₫619.6K

49.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$85.7 ₫2.2M

32.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$73.5 ₫1.9M

17.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$278 ₫7.3M

121.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$255 ₫6.7M

74.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$635 ₫16.7M

222.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$459 ₫12.1M

224.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$421 ₫11.0M

24.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.1

-41.43%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Da Lat: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $278 in Da Lat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Da Lat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $192 per month, with Da Lat 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 Da Lat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Da Lat differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $714 including rent). Da Lat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 24% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $278 in Da Lat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Da Lat – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $714 in Da Lat – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $714 in Da Lat versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Da Lat but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Da Lat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Da Lat 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 Da Lat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.