Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and GuayamaCost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guayama
Monthly Cost of Living
🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,111 in Guayama.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,444 in Guayama.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,777 in Guayama.
🙂Living in Phuket costs roughly 42% less than in Guayama, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Guayama is 58% above.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Guayama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63฿151
$18.98$18.98
-75.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84฿1,532
$80.3$80.3
-41.68%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿289
$9.46$9.46
-6.55%
Cappuccino
$3.00฿98.0
$3.69$3.69
-18.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74฿24.25
$1.70$1.70
-56.47%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.95
$1.38$1.38
-73.19%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44฿79.8
$3.07$3.07
-20.52%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61฿118
$4.39$4.39
-17.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Guayama
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿73.9
$1.95$1.95
15.90%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84฿60.1
$2.87$2.87
-35.89%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24฿73.4
$2.19$2.19
2.28%
Eggs
$2.32฿75.7
$3.90$3.90
-40.51%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67฿643
$8.97$8.97
119.29%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿119
$8.52$8.52
-57.16%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10฿428
$8.66$8.66
51.27%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39฿111
$2.15$2.15
57.67%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿53.7
$1.72$1.72
-4.65%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿79.0
$2.22$2.22
8.56%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿66.4
$4.14$4.14
-50.97%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56฿50.9
$2.09$2.09
-25.36%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿48.94
$3.06$3.06
-50.98%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.50
$3.07$3.07
-66.78%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.00
$1.98$1.98
-75.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45฿145
$11.88$11.88
-62.54%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88฿617
$15.78$15.78
19.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
$2.50$2.50
-28.80%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75฿90.1
$3.17$3.17
-13.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Guayama
Difference
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
-
-
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.67
$0.92$0.92
8.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09฿461
$14.97$14.97
-5.88%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35฿44.19
$0.92$0.92
46.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿888.9K
$36.2K$36.2K
-24.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$27.1K$27.1K
21.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Guayama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,087
$486$486
-74.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿444
$77.6$77.6
-82.51%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52฿606
$72.5$72.5
-74.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Guayama
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5฿2,010
$33.14$33.14
85.52%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84฿551
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.19฿300
$12.21$12.21
-24.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Guayama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.8K
$467$467
49.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6K฿509.9K
$10.3K$10.3K
51.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Guayama
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8฿1,889
$45.56$45.56
26.78%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24฿1,152
$56.2$56.2
-37.25%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,699
$89.2$89.2
26.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4฿2,825
$106$106
-18.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Guayama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616฿20.1K
$429$429
43.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.6K
$706$706
-36.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048฿67.0K
$1,823$1,823
12.32%
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Guayama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524฿17.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
5.71
-6.65%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026
Last update for Guayama: April 25, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $429 in Guayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $80.0 in Guayama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $318 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.
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 Guayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and Guayama?
Phuket and Guayama differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $2,111 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Guayama?
You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $3,167 in Guayama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and Guayama?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $429 in Guayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Guayama?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $467 in Guayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $80.0 in Guayama. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,111 in Guayama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Guayama. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Guayama?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Phuket or Guayama safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Guayama are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Guayama?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Guayama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.