Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fajardo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fajardo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,908 in Fajardo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $3,155 in Fajardo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $4,401 in Fajardo.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 35% less than in Fajardo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Fajardo is 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.12 $10.12

-54.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$81.7 $81.7

-42.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.37 $9.37

-5.66%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.54 $3.54

-15.25%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.76 $1.76

-57.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.43 $1.43

-74.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.05 $3.05

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.53 $4.53

-20.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.41 $2.41

-6.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$3.05 $3.05

-39.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.20 $2.20

1.82%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$5.92 $5.92

-60.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.98 $4.98

294.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.28 $8.28

-55.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$12.97 $12.97

1.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$5.87 $5.87

-42.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.67 $2.67

-38.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$4.00 $4.00

-39.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.97 $3.97

-48.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$4.09 $4.09

-61.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.92 $2.92

-48.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$3.08 $3.08

-66.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.99 $1.99

-75.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$11.60 $11.60

-61.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.10 $10.10

86.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.47 $2.47

-27.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.22 $3.22

-14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.54 $1.54

-35.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$14.79 $14.79

-4.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.91 $0.91

48.35%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

-24.41%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.8K $26.8K

22.84%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$350 $350

-64.33%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$78.4 $78.4

-82.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$69.2 $69.2

-73.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$98.4 $98.4

-37.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$11.98 $11.98

-23.29%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$467 $467

49.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$10.5K $10.5K

48.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$46.47 $46.47

24.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$56.3 $56.3

-37.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$92.4 $92.4

22.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$105 $105

-17.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$736 $736

-16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$605 $605

-26.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,612 $1,612

27.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,594 $1,594

-6.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.5

-3.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Fajardo: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $736 in Fajardo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $82.0 in Fajardo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $357 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 Fajardo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Fajardo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,862 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: $616 in Phuket versus $736 in Fajardo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Fajardo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,908 in Fajardo – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,908 in Fajardo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Fajardo. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Fajardo 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 55% less than in Fajardo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.