Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Diego Martin Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Diego Martin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,419 in Diego Martin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $2,340 in Diego Martin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $3,260 in Diego Martin, rent included.

Phuket is about 13% cheaper than Diego Martin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Phuket sits 8% below the global median, while Diego Martin is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.29 TTD 35.95

-12.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$73.2 TTD 497

-36.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.81 TTD 46.26

29.81%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.62 TTD 24.58

-17.13%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.05 TTD 7.14

-29.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.56 TTD 3.83

-33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.79 TTD 12.19

36.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.13 TTD 21.24

15.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.76 TTD 18.73

-18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.13 TTD 14.44

-13.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.61 TTD 17.69

-14.18%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$4.41 TTD 29.91

-47.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.11 TTD 55.1

142.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$10.38 TTD 70.5

-64.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$14.09 TTD 95.7

-7.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$5.97 TTD 40.51

-43.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.50 TTD 16.98

-34.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$4.36 TTD 29.60

-44.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.65 TTD 31.55

-56.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.45 TTD 9.84

7.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.72 TTD 11.68

-12.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.88 TTD 12.79

-45.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.41 TTD 9.59

-65.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.79 TTD 39.29

-23.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$19.81 TTD 135

-4.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.19 TTD 14.89

-18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.80 TTD 19.02

-1.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.93 TTD 6.32

50.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$74.8 TTD 508

-84.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.00 TTD 6.79

212.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.90 TTD 6.09

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$14.67 TTD 99.6

-3.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.11 TTD 7.55

21.62%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$14.6K TTD 99.0K

86.43%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$38.0K TTD 257.7K

-13.27%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$79.4 TTD 539

57.45%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$46.81 TTD 318

-71.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$61.4 TTD 417

-69.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$44.10 TTD 299

39.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.50 TTD 50.9

22.53%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$325 TTD 2,206

114.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,326 TTD 49.7K

112.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$59.4 TTD 403

-2.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$38.39 TTD 261

-8.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$146 TTD 993

-22.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$129 TTD 879

-33.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$674 TTD 4,578

-8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$442 TTD 3,004

0.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,452 TTD 9,859

41.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$950 TTD 6,452

57.04%

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

$1,783 TTD 12.1K

-70.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.38

-0.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Diego Martin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $674 in Diego Martin. 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 240% higher in Diego Martin, 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $73.0 in Diego Martin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $369 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Diego Martin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diego Martin costs about 15% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $2,129 in Diego Martin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Diego Martin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $73.0 in Diego Martin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Diego Martin at $1,419. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Diego Martin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,232 versus $1,419 in Diego Martin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Diego Martin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.