Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and the Galapagos Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in the Galapagos Islands: $884 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in the Galapagos Islands
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Galapagos Islands Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in the Galapagos Islands

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 the Galapagos Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $884 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Galapagos Islands $884

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,336 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Galapagos Islands $1,336

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,789 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Galapagos Islands $1,789

Phuket costs about 45% more than the Galapagos Islands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Galapagos Islands are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Galapagos Islands 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.54 $3.54

26.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$27.52 $27.52

17.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.27 $7.27

21.18%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.50 $2.50

13.20%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.85 $0.85

2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.66 $0.66

-25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.04 $2.04

25.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.54 $3.54

3.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.09 $1.09

52.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.62 $1.62

-9.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.57 $1.57

-4.46%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.17 $2.17

-3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$5.42 $5.42

251.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.55 $5.55

-40.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.21 $6.21

75.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.02 $2.02

45.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.16 $1.16

45.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.08 $1.08

108.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.07 $1.07

94.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.45 $1.45

4.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.03 $1.03

33.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.51 $0.51

109.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.99 $0.99

-47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.86 $5.86

-28.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$9.92 $9.92

89.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.51 $1.51

20.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.53 $2.53

12.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.37 $0.37

291.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$24.14 $24.14

134.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.48 $1.48

104.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.01 $1.01

0.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$9.92 $9.92

-62.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$0.66 $0.66

122.73%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.88%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$28.4K $28.4K

-5.98%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$39.48 $39.48

144.05%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$13.57 $13.57

-17.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$31.19 $31.19

-45.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$29.46 $29.46

128.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$14.80 $14.80

-27.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.18 $7.18

4.46%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$253 $253

88.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$5,750 $5,750

95.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$55.7 $55.7

12.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$43.02 $43.02

-33.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$98.0 $98.0

-3.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$75.9 $75.9

13.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$340 $340

110.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$314 $314

56.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$633 $633

204.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$499 $499

186.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,218 $1,218

242.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$998 $998

205.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for the Galapagos Islands: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Galapagos Islands

$314 35.5% 36.1% $177

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Galapagos Islands

$184 20.9% 30.8% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Galapagos Islands

$84 9.5% 32.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Galapagos Islands

$123 13.9% 0.6% $0.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Galapagos Islands

$103 11.7% 15.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Galapagos Islands

$44 5% 46.7% $38

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Galapagos Islands

$32 3.6% 54.4% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $340 in the Galapagos Islands. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $28 in the Galapagos Islands. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $184 – making Galapagos Islands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Galapagos Islands

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

00:13 12:13 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

32,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Galapagos Islands 18,720 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Galapagos Islands

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 Galapagos Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $884 in the Galapagos Islands – Galapagos Islands comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,326 in the Galapagos Islands. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in the Galapagos Islands, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $28 in the Galapagos Islands. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in the Galapagos Islands, where all-in costs run around $884, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Galapagos Islands it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward the Galapagos Islands – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Galapagos Islands is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 31% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.