Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fajardo

For one person, living is cheaper in Fajardo: $1,241 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $440 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Fajardo
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Fajardo Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Fajardo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fajardo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Fajardo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,241 in Fajardo.

Phuket $1,278
Fajardo $1,241

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,954 in Fajardo.

Phuket $2,216
Fajardo $1,954

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,667 in Fajardo.

Phuket $3,154
Fajardo $2,667

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in Fajardo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Fajardo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.80 $9.80

-54.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$82.1 $82.1

-60.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.44 $9.44

-6.67%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.66 $3.66

-22.68%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.93 $1.93

-54.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.51 $1.51

-67.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.97 $2.97

-13.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.11 $5.11

-27.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.11 $2.11

-21.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$3.69 $3.69

-60.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.45 $2.45

-38.78%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$7.46 $7.46

-71.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$12.35 $12.35

54.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.45 $9.45

-65.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.26 $13.26

-17.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$5.09 $5.09

-42.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.58 $2.58

-34.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.75 $4.75

-52.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.70 $4.70

-55.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.71 $3.71

-59.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$3.91 $3.91

-64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$3.40 $3.40

-68.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.61 $1.61

-67.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$11.33 $11.33

-62.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.50 $15.50

21.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.09 $3.09

-41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.04 $4.04

-29.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.47 $2.47

22.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.52 $1.52

-32.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$41.58 $41.58

-91.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.24 $1.24

18.55%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$34.6K $34.6K

-22.60%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$28.3K $28.3K

-5.67%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$316 $316

-69.52%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$70.6 $70.6

-84.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$70.0 $70.0

-75.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$10.47 $10.47

-28.37%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$835 $835

-42.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$12.6K $12.6K

-10.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$55.5 $55.5

12.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$61.8 $61.8

-54.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$107 $107

-11.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$115 $115

-25.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,007 $1,007

-28.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.55

-14.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fajardo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Fajardo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Fajardo

$412 33.2% 54.6% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Fajardo

$457 36.8% 267% $332

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Fajardo

$152 12.3% 25.1% $31

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Fajardo

$189 15.3% 55.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Fajardo

$21 * 1.7% 74.5% $61

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Fajardo

$10 * 0.8% 85.8% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,007 in Fajardo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $82 in Fajardo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $412 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇷 Fajardo

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

17:15 5:15 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

11,647

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Fajardo 16,620 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Fajardo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Fajardo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fajardo wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fajardo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,862 in Fajardo 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,007 in Fajardo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,241 in Fajardo – Fajardo is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Fajardo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.