Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guanacaste

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,534 in Guanacaste, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
Learn more

Guanacaste Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,534

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Guanacaste

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,534 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Guanacaste $1,534

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,421 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Guanacaste $2,421

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,307 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Guanacaste $3,307

Phuket is about 17% cheaper than Guanacaste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Guanacaste is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.77 ₡4,860

-58.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$47.69 ₡21.5K

-32.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.68 ₡5,270

-24.57%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$4.44 ₡2,003

-36.26%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.70 ₡1,220

-67.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.93 ₡871

-74.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$3.10 ₡1,398

-17.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.47 ₡2,019

-17.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.04 ₡921

-18.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$3.19 ₡1,439

-54.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.42 ₡1,091

-38.02%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.59 ₡1,618

-41.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$5.63 ₡2,542

238.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.30 ₡1,942

-23.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.09 ₡5,005

-1.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.68 ₡1,210

9.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.57 ₡708

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.40 ₡1,988

-48.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.53 ₡689

35.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.86 ₡1,744

-60.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$2.25 ₡1,017

-38.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.90 ₡406

18.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$3.07 ₡1,385

-83.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.34 ₡1,958

-3.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$20.25 ₡9,140

-7.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.80 ₡1,261

-35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.66 ₡1,202

6.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.29 ₡584

12.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.50 ₡1,128

20.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.57 ₡706

-35.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$8.85 ₡3,996

-58.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.57 ₡709

-6.37%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$33.7K ₡15.2M

-20.56%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$41.3K ₡18.6M

-35.30%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$93.5 ₡42.2K

3.03%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$36.18 ₡16.3K

-68.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$32.69 ₡14.7K

-48.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$66.5 ₡30.0K

1.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.85 ₡3,542

-4.46%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$968 ₡436.8K

-50.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$17.5K ₡7.9M

-35.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$66.5 ₡30.0K

-6.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$44.53 ₡20.1K

-36.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$86.6 ₡39.1K

8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$78.2 ₡35.3K

9.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$795 ₡358.9K

-9.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$620 ₡279.6K

-20.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,899 ₡856.7K

1.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,279 ₡577.2K

11.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.62

-35.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Guanacaste: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Guanacaste

$620 40.4% 26.2% $129

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Guanacaste

$312 20.4% 17.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Guanacaste

$162 10.6% 30.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Guanacaste

$124 8.1% 1.8% $2.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Guanacaste

$217 14.2% 78.7% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Guanacaste

$82 5.4% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Guanacaste

$16 * 1% 78% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $795 in Guanacaste. 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 $48 in Guanacaste. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $312 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

16:56 4:56 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,823

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Guanacaste 17,970 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Guanacaste

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 Guanacaste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guanacaste is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,301 in Guanacaste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $795 in Guanacaste.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,534 in Guanacaste. That makes Phuket about 17% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $968 in Guanacaste. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Guanacaste at $1,534. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guanacaste it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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