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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,046 in Didim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,619 in Didim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,193 in Didim.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than Didim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Didim 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$7.73 ₺357

-41.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$30.75 ₺1,422

51.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.59 ₺351

11.59%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.91 ₺135

4.12%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.29 ₺59.8

-46.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.44 ₺20.15

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$3.43 ₺159

-27.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.91 ₺181

-6.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.80 ₺36.85

172.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.29 ₺59.5

47.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.50 ₺116

-12.00%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.19 ₺54.9

86.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.02 ₺463

99.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.02 ₺232

-27.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$17.68 ₺818

-25.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$0.50 ₺23.04

546.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.03 ₺47.74

65.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.49 ₺22.65

387.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.79 ₺36.37

163.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.39 ₺18.08

307.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.40 ₺18.28

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.73 ₺33.91

41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.79 ₺36.50

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.17 ₺100

95.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.63 ₺492

76.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.02 ₺93.2

-12.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.07 ₺95.6

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.49 ₺22.71

177.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$30.42 ₺1,407

-62.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.55 ₺118

23.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.94 ₺43.61

10.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$7.73 ₺358

78.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.22 ₺56.6

9.84%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$43.9K ₺2.0M

-36.95%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$43.2K ₺2.0M

-21.56%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$61.8 ₺2,859

99.95%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$7.72 ₺357

75.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$7.76 ₺359

140.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$43.92 ₺2,032

40.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.76 ₺266

58.68%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$604 ₺28.0K

16.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,725 ₺403.6K

81.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$15.16 ₺702

292.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$15.40 ₺712

127.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$103 ₺4,766

11.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$128 ₺5,913

-34.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$518 ₺24.0K

19.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$394 ₺18.2K

9.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$225 ₺10.4K

816.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$713 ₺33.0K

112.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,416 ₺65.5K

157.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,037 ₺48.0K

153.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

36.83

-85.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Didim: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $518 in Didim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Didim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $208 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 21% 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 $1,892 in Phuket and $1,569 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: $619 in Phuket versus $518 in Didim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $604 in Didim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,046 in Didim versus $1,261 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 $1,046 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 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.