Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Diriamba Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Diriamba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $710 in Diriamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,140 in Diriamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,570 in Diriamba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 76% more expensive than in Diriamba, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Diriamba 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.94 NIO 181

-7.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$34.43 NIO 1,261

34.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.12 NIO 261

24.16%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.35 NIO 86.0

30.21%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.84 NIO 30.79

-13.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.69 NIO 25.26

-42.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.29 NIO 47.25

88.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.98 NIO 72.6

90.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.27 NIO 46.65

77.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.38 NIO 87.3

-23.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.86 NIO 68.2

20.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.35 NIO 86.0

-4.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$11.13 NIO 408

75.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.46 NIO 237

-43.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.78 NIO 285

67.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.80 NIO 139

-15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.85 NIO 31.28

90.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.78 NIO 65.0

33.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.21 NIO 81.0

-8.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$4.01 NIO 147

-61.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.17 NIO 79.4

-30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.07 NIO 39.15

-8.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.01 NIO 36.89

-48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.68 NIO 98.1

65.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$14.60 NIO 535

25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.40 NIO 51.2

32.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.20 NIO 80.7

21.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.53 NIO 55.9

103.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.93 NIO 254

103.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.31 NIO 47.98

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.1K NIO 846.9K

20.29%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.4K NIO 967.5K

25.74%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$97.3 NIO 3,565

25.80%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$16.80 NIO 615

-19.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$37.19 NIO 1,362

-49.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.79 NIO 285

16.43%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$122 NIO 4,459

480.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,073 NIO 222.4K

160.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$77.0 NIO 2,819

-23.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$72.3 NIO 2,648

-51.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$130 NIO 4,775

-11.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$109 NIO 3,976

-22.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.25

-48.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Diriamba: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Diriamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $258 per month, with Diriamba 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 Diriamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diriamba wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Diriamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,066 in Diriamba 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.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $122 in Diriamba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Diriamba – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $710 in Diriamba versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Diriamba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Diriamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Diriamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $710 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Diriamba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Diriamba 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 Diriamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.