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 $1,365 in Diego Martin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $2,283 in Diego Martin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $3,202 in Diego Martin, rent included.

Phuket is about 10% cheaper than Diego Martin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Phuket sits 10% below the global median, while Diego Martin is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.21 TTD 68.7

-56.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$87.2 TTD 587

-63.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.03 TTD 60.8

-1.11%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.80 TTD 25.58

-23.68%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.23 TTD 8.29

-28.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.77 TTD 5.16

-37.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.24 TTD 15.06

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.88 TTD 19.39

29.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.38 TTD 15.99

-21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.23 TTD 14.99

-34.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.91 TTD 19.60

-46.74%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.29 TTD 28.84

-51.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.60 TTD 44.42

196.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.19 TTD 68.6

-66.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.70 TTD 58.6

30.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.53 TTD 37.21

-46.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.48 TTD 16.70

-32.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.67 TTD 24.66

-39.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.26 TTD 28.64

-49.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.73 TTD 4.89

108.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.72 TTD 4.87

86.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.49 TTD 10.02

-24.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.15 TTD 7.70

-52.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.67 TTD 38.14

-24.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$17.92 TTD 121

6.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.55 TTD 10.45

14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.08 TTD 20.70

-9.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.91 TTD 6.14

145.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$74.9 TTD 504

-69.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.00 TTD 6.72

203.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.92 TTD 6.21

10.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$14.95 TTD 101

-73.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.11 TTD 7.48

34.23%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$14.4K TTD 97.2K

84.07%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$41.9K TTD 282.0K

-35.52%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$44.77 TTD 301

128.88%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$42.81 TTD 288

-73.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$45.22 TTD 304

-61.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$44.58 TTD 300

16.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.81 TTD 59.3

-12.71%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$391 TTD 2,633

43.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$11.0K TTD 73.8K

4.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$54.1 TTD 364

16.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$36.45 TTD 245

-19.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$88.8 TTD 597

10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$89.0 TTD 599

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$657 TTD 4,420

12.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$441 TTD 2,970

9.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,442 TTD 9,700

46.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$952 TTD 6,403

28.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,781 TTD 12.0K

-72.29%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Diego Martin: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $657 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 261% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $87.0 in Diego Martin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $323 – 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 11% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. 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 $2,047 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 18% 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $87.0 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 $1,365. 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 $1,365 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.