Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jaco Beach Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jaco Beach

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,318 in Jaco Beach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $2,123 in Jaco Beach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $2,928 in Jaco Beach.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Jaco Beach, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 7% lower, Jaco Beach 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$6.98 ₡3,189

-34.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$39.46 ₡18.0K

18.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$9.11 ₡4,162

-4.50%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$3.95 ₡1,806

-26.08%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$1.53 ₡701

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$0.92 ₡422

-56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$2.95 ₡1,345

-14.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.90 ₡1,324

31.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.39 ₡635

55.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$2.01 ₡917

-6.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$2.15 ₡983

0.47%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$2.42 ₡1,108

-8.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$9.68 ₡4,421

102.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$8.36 ₡3,819

-54.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$11.10 ₡5,072

20.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$4.61 ₡2,108

-29.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.52 ₡696

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$4.12 ₡1,884

-43.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$3.15 ₡1,437

-34.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$1.38 ₡632

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$1.33 ₡610

8.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.89 ₡408

15.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$1.78 ₡812

-73.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$5.15 ₡2,353

-12.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$13.93 ₡6,365

37.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$2.42 ₡1,106

-24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.97 ₡901

36.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$1.00 ₡458

38.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$1.88 ₡857

65.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$1.81 ₡827

-44.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$7.96 ₡3,637

72.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.47 ₡673

-11.56%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$37.9K ₡17.3M

-27.83%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$31.9K ₡14.6M

3.45%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$71.0 ₡32.4K

75.94%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$22.01 ₡10.1K

-37.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$42.16 ₡19.3K

-55.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$47.47 ₡21.7K

27.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$24.05 ₡11.0K

-28.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$10.00 ₡4,567

-9.90%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$444 ₡202.7K

57.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$6,662 ₡3.0M

141.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$61.4 ₡28.0K

-3.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$50.5 ₡23.1K

-30.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$125 ₡57.1K

-8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$109 ₡49.6K

-21.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$547 ₡249.8K

13.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$494 ₡225.6K

-11.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$1,893 ₡864.7K

9.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$1,041 ₡475.4K

45.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$397 ₡181.3K

33.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Jaco Beach: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $547 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $39 in Jaco Beach. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $297, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 33% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $547 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $444 in Jaco Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $39.00 in Jaco Beach. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,318 in Jaco Beach, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Jaco Beach. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Jaco Beach, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Jaco Beach are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Jaco Beach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.