Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Drama Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Drama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,211 in Drama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,784 in Drama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,356 in Drama.

Living in Phuket is roughly 2% more expensive than in Drama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Drama 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$14.92 €13.00

-70.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$45.51 €39.67

-29.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$10.35 €9.02

-13.72%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.67 €2.32

8.61%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.85 €2.48

-69.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.73 €0.64

-34.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.41 €2.97

-31.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.53 €3.94

-17.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.62 €1.41

15.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.57 €1.37

-6.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.13 €0.98

37.17%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$5.36 €4.67

-60.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.89 €10.37

64.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.41 €8.20

-63.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.74 €12.85

-22.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.42 €1.24

109.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.47 €1.28

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.15 €1.00

92.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.25 €1.96

-4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.94 €0.82

61.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.20 €1.04

11.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.54 €1.34

-26.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.78 €0.68

-29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.30 €4.62

-19.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.17 €4.51

269.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.00 €0.87

78.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.97 €1.72

41.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$4.24 €3.69

-28.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.13 €0.98

-9.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$17.04 €14.85

-77.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$2.14 €1.86

-30.37%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$28.7K €25.0K

-7.24%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$30.6K €26.7K

-11.69%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$196 €171

-47.79%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$24.19 €21.08

-53.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$30.31 €26.42

-42.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$46.25 €40.32

12.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.87 €6.86

-2.29%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$494 €430

13.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$9,398 €8,192

22.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$100 €87.2

-37.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$23.31 €20.32

26.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$64.7 €56.4

51.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$70.6 €61.5

25.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$323 €281

128.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$309 €269

56.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$516 €450

308.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$421 €367

191.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,570 €1,368

130.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$3,343 €2,914

-22.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,194 €1,041

-58.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.4

26.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Drama: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $323 in Drama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drama pays 142% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Drama. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $257, with Drama 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 Drama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drama is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 142% lower in Drama. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $323 in Drama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $494 in Drama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Drama – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,211 in Drama versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Drama but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Drama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Drama is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Drama 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 Drama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.