Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Escazu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Escazu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,994 in Escazu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $3,011 in Escazu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $4,029 in Escazu.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 37% less than in Escazu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Escazu is 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$12.21 ₡5,450

-63.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$56.7 ₡25.3K

-38.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$11.53 ₡5,145

-22.29%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$4.44 ₡1,980

-32.43%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$2.52 ₡1,126

-69.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$1.97 ₡881

-76.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$3.09 ₡1,379

-22.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$4.55 ₡2,033

-17.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$2.43 ₡1,085

-25.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$3.32 ₡1,484

-57.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$2.51 ₡1,121

-38.25%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.49 ₡1,558

-38.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$10.97 ₡4,896

80.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$10.02 ₡4,471

-65.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$14.35 ₡6,403

-22.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$5.31 ₡2,371

-45.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.55 ₡694

7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$3.16 ₡1,410

-28.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$3.18 ₡1,418

-33.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$3.98 ₡1,777

-63.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$3.77 ₡1,681

-62.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.03 ₡461

5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$1.76 ₡787

-69.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$5.72 ₡2,551

-21.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$18.65 ₡8,324

0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.73 ₡774

6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.78 ₡1,239

6.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.10 ₡492

105.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$2.09 ₡933

45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$1.58 ₡706

-31.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$8.64 ₡3,855

-55.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.49 ₡665

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$21.8K ₡9.7M

25.99%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$36.3K ₡16.2M

-24.13%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$102 ₡45.5K

-0.16%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$29.64 ₡13.2K

-61.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$62.9 ₡28.1K

-71.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$108 ₡48.2K

-49.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$9.92 ₡4,428

10.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$9.09 ₡4,059

-13.64%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$447 ₡199.5K

29.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$17.3K ₡7.7M

-32.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$73.6 ₡32.8K

-11.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$55.9 ₡24.9K

-48.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$128 ₡57.2K

-22.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$135 ₡60.4K

-33.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$846 ₡377.7K

-10.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$850 ₡379.5K

-42.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$1,943 ₡866.9K

7.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$1,511 ₡674.2K

-20.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$1,356 ₡605.1K

164.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$953 ₡425.3K

173.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$1,754 ₡782.7K

-71.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.89

-37.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Escazu: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $846 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 249% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $57.0 in Escazu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $368 per month, with Phuket 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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 249% lower in Escazu. 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: $756 in Phuket versus $846 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,994 in Escazu – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,994 in Escazu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Escazu. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Escazu 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Escazu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.