Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Georgetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,643 in Georgetown, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Georgetown
🇬🇾 Guyana
$1,643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Georgetown

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 Georgetown actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,643 in Georgetown, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Georgetown $1,643

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $2,771 in Georgetown, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Georgetown $2,771

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $3,899 in Georgetown, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Georgetown $3,899

Phuket is about 27% cheaper than Georgetown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Georgetown is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Georgetown
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿153
$18.26 GYD 3,797
-74.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,086
$71.3 GYD 14.8K
-54.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿286
$9.19 GYD 1,911
-6.96%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.0
$5.71 GYD 1,188
-52.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.25
$1.21 GYD 252
-22.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.39
$0.61 GYD 126
-19.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$1.95 GYD 406
32.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$3.27 GYD 680
17.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Georgetown
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$3.56 GYD 741
-51.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.82
$2.08 GYD 432
-31.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.0
$2.07 GYD 430
-26.09%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$3.94 GYD 819
-44.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿640
$15.16 GYD 3,152
26.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿110
$7.01 GYD 1,458
-52.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿372
$8.91 GYD 1,853
25.03%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.5
$8.17 GYD 1,699
-63.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.1
$4.04 GYD 840
-58.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿76.8
$4.06 GYD 844
-43.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$7.15 GYD 1,487
-70.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$2.45 GYD 508
-37.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.55
$3.08 GYD 639
-55.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.44
$3.14 GYD 653
-64.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$1.60 GYD 332
-65.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$3.43 GYD 713
24.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿608
$16.72 GYD 3,476
8.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$1.83 GYD 380
-4.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.3
$2.54 GYD 529
9.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Georgetown
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.1
$0.58 GYD 121
282.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿737
$61.5 GYD 12.8K
-64.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.3
$4.27 GYD 888
-31.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.79
$2.33 GYD 485
-56.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$11.90 GYD 2,473
-67.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.85
$1.07 GYD 223
39.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿891.6K
$27.1K GYD 5.6M
-1.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿892.7K
$22.5K GYD 4.7M
18.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Georgetown
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,321
$120 GYD 24.9K
-17.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿377
$21.78 GYD 4,527
-48.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿580
$44.50 GYD 9,251
-60.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Georgetown
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,747
$37.71 GYD 7,840
38.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿362
$15.08 GYD 3,135
-28.05%
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿253
$6.04 GYD 1,256
25.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Georgetown
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$1,009 GYD 209.9K
-44.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿383.9K
$18.8K GYD 3.9M
-39.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Georgetown
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,102
$37.95 GYD 7,889
65.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿955
$41.02 GYD 8,528
-30.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,213
$133 GYD 27.7K
-27.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,943
$85.8 GYD 17.8K
2.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Georgetown
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
$958 GYD 199.1K
-23.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$530 GYD 110.1K
-13.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.0K
$3,344 GYD 695.3K
-37.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿40.8K
$1,288 GYD 267.7K
-5.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿115.6K
$3,596 GYD 747.6K
-3.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.2K
$1,560 GYD 324.2K
59.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Georgetown
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
$520 GYD 108.2K
-5.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.94
-19.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Georgetown: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Georgetown
$530 15.1% $70
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Georgetown
$398 48.6% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Georgetown
$186 45.4% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Georgetown
$134 8.1% $10
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Georgetown
$266 119% $145
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Georgetown
$50 26.1% $18
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Georgetown
$80 105% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $958 in Georgetown. 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 6% higher in Georgetown, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $71.0 in Georgetown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $398 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇾 Georgetown
🕒 Local time
08:04 8:04 AM
21:04 9:04 PM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
310,320 Capital
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GYD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Guyanese Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 208 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.81 USD). 1 EUR = 234 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.28 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Georgetown 16,940 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Georgetown

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 Georgetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Georgetown?
Georgetown costs about 36% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Georgetown?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $2,464 in Georgetown. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Georgetown?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Phuket compared to Georgetown?
Public transport costs about 179% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and in Georgetown?
Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $1,009 in Georgetown. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Georgetown?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Georgetown at $1,643. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Georgetown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Georgetown?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $1,643 in Georgetown. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Phuket compared to Georgetown?
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.
Should I move to Phuket or to Georgetown?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Georgetown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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