Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fort Portal Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fort Portal

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $406 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $651 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $896 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Phuket costs about 204% more than Fort Portal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Fort Portal are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Fort Portal 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.79 UGX 10.4K

65.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.21 UGX 97.2K

78.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.75 UGX 32.4K

1.03%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.87 UGX 10.6K

4.53%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.48 UGX 1,779

54.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.31 UGX 1,160

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.38 UGX 5,106

76.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.84 UGX 10.5K

27.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.32 UGX 1,174

606.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.80 UGX 2,954

130.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.09 UGX 4,026

105.50%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.37 UGX 5,065

69.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.20 UGX 15.6K

368.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.98 UGX 18.5K

-26.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$3.60 UGX 13.4K

263.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.82 UGX 10.4K

20.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.85 UGX 3,134

92.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.67 UGX 6,174

44.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.36 UGX 5,038

49.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.57 UGX 5,803

-0.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.68 UGX 2,512

120.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.06 UGX 3,914

-3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.58 UGX 2,147

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.94 UGX 10.9K

51.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.50 UGX 20.4K

243.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.86 UGX 3,203

106.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.14 UGX 4,221

141.23%

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

$0.55 UGX 2,024

467.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.26 UGX 960

284.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.06 UGX 15.1K

247.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.40 UGX 5,177

-3.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$9,042 UGX 33.5M

200.64%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$8,608 UGX 31.9M

282.46%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$42.64 UGX 158.1K

193.11%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$14.49 UGX 53.7K

-6.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$43.07 UGX 159.7K

-57.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.31 UGX 23.4K

45.64%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$163 UGX 604.7K

328.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,253 UGX 15.8M

266.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$16.83 UGX 62.4K

243.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$14.30 UGX 53.0K

146.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$37.84 UGX 140.3K

198.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$47.76 UGX 177.1K

80.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

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

20.8

-74.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Fort Portal: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $26.00 in Fort Portal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $137 – making Fort Portal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Fort Portal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 204% more than Fort Portal, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $609 in Fort Portal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $26.00 in Fort Portal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 114% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fort Portal, where all-in costs run around $406, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Fort Portal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fort Portal costs $406 versus $1,232 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Fort Portal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.