Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gence Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gence

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $791 in Gence, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,304 in Gence, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,816 in Gence, rent included.

Phuket costs about 56% more than Gence, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Gence are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Gence 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.27 ₼8.96

-12.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$39.00 ₼66.3

20.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.81 ₼9.88

52.15%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.66 ₼4.53

12.78%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.12 ₼1.91

-33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.61 ₼1.03

-39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.34 ₼2.28

82.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.69 ₼4.56

34.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.80 ₼3.06

25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.45 ₼0.76

308.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.67 ₼2.83

34.13%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.08 ₼3.53

11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$3.02 ₼5.13

551.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.55 ₼6.03

2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.60 ₼12.92

72.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.16 ₼1.97

192.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.51 ₼2.57

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.42 ₼4.11

-0.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.27 ₼2.16

59.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.74 ₼1.25

110.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.55 ₼0.94

172.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.60 ₼1.03

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.43 ₼0.73

13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.80 ₼6.47

17.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$1.45 ₼2.46

1202.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.25 ₼2.13

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.77 ₼3.02

55.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.28 ₼0.47

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$14.42 ₼24.51

-20.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.78 ₼3.02

75.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.29 ₼3.90

515.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.75 ₼1.28

80.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$21.0K ₼35.7K

29.45%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.4K ₼38.1K

46.76%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$58.4 ₼99.3

113.97%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$14.50 ₼24.65

-6.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$18.62 ₼31.66

-0.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$20.46 ₼34.78

200.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$23.97 ₼40.74

-29.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.91 ₼10.04

55.50%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$236 ₼401

196.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,000 ₼10.2K

159.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$89.6 ₼152

-35.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$70.4 ₼120

-49.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$146 ₼248

-22.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$179 ₼305

-51.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$354 ₼602

73.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$173 ₼295

157.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$587 ₼997

249.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$358 ₼609

316.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$824 ₼1,400

358.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$475 ₼807

458.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$297 ₼505

76.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Gence: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $354 in Gence. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 76% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $39.00 in Gence. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $141 – making Gence 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 Gence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 56%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,187 in Gence. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gence, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $698 per month in Phuket and $236 in Gence. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 107% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gence, where all-in costs run around $791, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Gence it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Gence. 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.