Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Didim Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Didim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $976 in Didim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,524 in Didim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,071 in Didim.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than in Didim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Didim 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.27 ₺402

-46.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$28.98 ₺1,410

11.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$8.75 ₺426

2.06%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.49 ₺170

-16.91%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.20 ₺58.2

-26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.43 ₺20.87

11.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.36 ₺115

-0.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.07 ₺198

-8.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.99 ₺48.40

88.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.98 ₺47.49

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.23 ₺109

-30.49%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.11 ₺103

-0.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$9.06 ₺441

116.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.93 ₺191

-12.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$19.75 ₺961

-42.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.82 ₺88.7

63.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.93 ₺93.7

-12.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.06 ₺51.8

108.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.22 ₺59.5

77.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.50 ₺24.18

204.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.38 ₺18.27

252.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.88 ₺42.74

28.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.70 ₺33.89

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.05 ₺99.8

107.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$10.39 ₺506

83.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.03 ₺98.8

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.94 ₺143

-5.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.73 ₺35.41

205.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$34.69 ₺1,688

-34.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.30 ₺63.4

133.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.88 ₺42.69

15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$5.17 ₺252

-24.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.30 ₺63.1

14.62%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$37.1K ₺1.8M

-28.29%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$35.1K ₺1.7M

-22.97%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$66.4 ₺3,232

54.30%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$11.06 ₺538

2.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$12.53 ₺610

38.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$44.63 ₺2,172

16.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$6.09 ₺296

26.27%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$539 ₺26.2K

4.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$12.5K ₺609.5K

-8.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$48.68 ₺2,369

29.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$30.83 ₺1,500

-4.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$83.0 ₺4,039

18.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$74.1 ₺3,604

19.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$393 ₺19.1K

87.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$288 ₺14.0K

67.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$744 ₺36.2K

183.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$573 ₺27.9K

114.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,382 ₺67.3K

161.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$900 ₺43.8K

189.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-86.41%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Didim: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $393 in Didim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Didim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $225 per month, with Didim 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 Didim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Didim wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Didim the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,464 in Didim 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: $738 in Phuket versus $393 in Didim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $539 in Didim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $976 in Didim versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Didim but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Didim the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Didim delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $976 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Didim hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Didim 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 Didim gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.