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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $778 in Diriamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,255 in Diriamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,733 in Diriamba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than in Diriamba, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Diriamba 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$9.93 NIO 364

-54.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$37.20 NIO 1,362

-12.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.50 NIO 275

18.67%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.60 NIO 95.4

7.69%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.82 NIO 30.21

7.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.68 NIO 24.90

-27.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.46 NIO 53.6

63.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.97 NIO 72.3

88.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.24 NIO 45.50

44.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$2.39 NIO 87.7

-39.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.76 NIO 64.5

-10.23%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.40 NIO 87.8

-11.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.75 NIO 431

69.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$6.59 NIO 241

-47.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.14 NIO 262

58.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$3.64 NIO 133

-18.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.58 NIO 21.34

196.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.81 NIO 66.4

28.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.21 NIO 81.1

-5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$4.02 NIO 147

-63.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$2.15 NIO 78.7

-36.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.00 NIO 36.44

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.03 NIO 37.81

-44.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.74 NIO 100

55.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$14.82 NIO 543

24.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.40 NIO 51.2

33.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.27 NIO 83.1

28.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.65 NIO 60.6

83.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$1.58 NIO 58.0

-32.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$6.64 NIO 243

-40.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.37 NIO 50.1

8.76%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$22.9K NIO 837.0K

18.71%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$26.1K NIO 954.1K

5.37%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$119 NIO 4,368

-13.81%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$16.80 NIO 615

-34.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$36.20 NIO 1,326

-51.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$8.46 NIO 310

-11.58%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$232 NIO 8,495

140.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$6,063 NIO 222.1K

95.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$69.9 NIO 2,561

-8.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$74.4 NIO 2,725

-60.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$131 NIO 4,802

-26.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$108 NIO 3,967

-16.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.25

-45.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Diriamba: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Diriamba. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $257, with Diriamba cheaper for home cooking.

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 61% 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 $1,880 in Phuket and $1,166 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 $557 in Phuket versus $232 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 $37.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $778 in Diriamba versus $1,253 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 $778 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 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.