Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Esperanza Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Esperanza

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $714 in Esperanza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,187 in Esperanza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,659 in Esperanza.

Living in Phuket is roughly 77% more expensive than Esperanza, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$8.58 DOP 503

-46.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$51.0 DOP 2,988

-8.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.50 DOP 439

12.93%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.76 DOP 162

9.78%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.99 DOP 58.0

-30.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.83 DOP 48.57

-55.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.59 DOP 152

-3.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.11 DOP 300

-28.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.40 DOP 81.9

55.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.78 DOP 104

6.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.55 DOP 91.0

41.94%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.30 DOP 135

-3.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.33 DOP 429

172.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.40 DOP 375

-42.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.97 DOP 642

20.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.31 DOP 194

-2.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.91 DOP 53.0

86.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.91 DOP 170

-17.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.01 DOP 117

3.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.43 DOP 142

-34.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.33 DOP 136

-36.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.10 DOP 64.4

-6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.90 DOP 53.0

-42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.65 DOP 331

-24.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.89 DOP 638

72.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.74 DOP 160

-35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.13 DOP 183

-11.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.33 DOP 195

-5.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.13 DOP 125

-51.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$5.79 DOP 339

137.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.28 DOP 75.1

4.69%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

2.82%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$31.2K DOP 1.8M

8.49%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$77.1 DOP 4,515

60.34%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$25.54 DOP 1,496

-47.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$35.94 DOP 2,105

-48.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.68 DOP 391

36.83%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$272 DOP 15.9K

158.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,068 DOP 472.6K

96.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$60.1 DOP 3,519

-1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$52.3 DOP 3,065

-32.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$96.7 DOP 5,662

19.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$115 DOP 6,732

-26.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.9

-58.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Esperanza: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Esperanza. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $247, with Esperanza 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 Esperanza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Esperanza wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Esperanza the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,072 in Esperanza 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 $703 in Phuket versus $272 in Esperanza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Esperanza – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $714 in Esperanza versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Esperanza but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Esperanza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Esperanza delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $714 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Esperanza hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Esperanza 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 Esperanza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.