Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalasin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalasin: $932 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Kalasin, Thailand
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Kalasin
🇹🇭 Thailand
$932
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kalasin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $932 in Kalasin.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Kalasin $932

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,510 in Kalasin.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Kalasin $1,510

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,087 in Kalasin.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Kalasin $2,087

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than in Kalasin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kalasin 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kalasin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$4.91 ฿166
-8.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$24.81 ฿838
30.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$4.46 ฿151
97.53%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$2.01 ฿67.9
40.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$0.58 ฿19.67
50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.30 ฿10.08
63.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$2.13 ฿72.1
20.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.92 ฿98.6
26.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kalasin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.81 ฿61.0
-8.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$1.41 ฿47.75
3.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.31 ฿44.24
14.50%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.99 ฿67.2
5.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$16.89 ฿570
12.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$2.60 ฿87.9
26.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$9.99 ฿337
9.21%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.86 ฿96.7
2.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.00 ฿33.88
69.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.14 ฿72.3
5.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$1.96 ฿66.3
6.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.52 ฿51.2
-0.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.10 ฿37.30
25.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$1.11 ฿37.57
-3.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.50 ฿16.77
4.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$4.23 ฿143
-0.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$17.99 ฿607
4.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.68 ฿56.9
8.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$2.88 ฿97.4
-1.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kalasin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$0.86 ฿28.98
68.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.22 ฿41.08
147.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.18 ฿39.83
-13.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$5.97 ฿202
-38.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.41 ฿47.73
4.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$26.5K ฿895.3K
1.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$27.2K ฿917.5K
-1.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kalasin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$83.4 ฿2,815
15.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$11.77 ฿397
-4.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$19.31 ฿652
-12.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kalasin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$47.93 ฿1,619
40.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$13.16 ฿444
-18.47%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$6.45 ฿218
16.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kalasin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$575 ฿19.4K
-17.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$11.0K ฿371.9K
2.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kalasin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$51.2 ฿1,727
21.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$29.44 ฿994
-3.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$75.3 ฿2,541
25.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$77.3 ฿2,609
11.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kalasin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$431 ฿14.5K
66.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$299 ฿10.1K
64.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$1,160 ฿39.2K
66.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$704 ฿23.8K
103.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$1,970 ฿66.5K
111.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$1,434 ฿48.4K
112.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kalasin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.57
-

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kalasin: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Kalasin
$299 39.1% $192
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Kalasin
$245 7.9% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Kalasin
$114 8.1% $10
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Kalasin
$105 13.9% $17
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Kalasin
$97 20.5% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Kalasin
$61 26% $21
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Kalasin
$11 * 85.1% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $431 in Kalasin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $25 in Kalasin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $245 per month, with Kalasin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇹🇭 Kalasin
🕒 Local time
06:12 6:12 AM
06:12 6:12 AM
Same time as Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
37,653
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Kalasin 1,100 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Kalasin

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 Kalasin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kalasin cheaper than Phuket?
Kalasin is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,398 in Kalasin 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Kalasin?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $431 in Kalasin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $575 in Kalasin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Kalasin?
Dining out is cheaper in Kalasin – a meal for two runs $25 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Kalasin?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Kalasin?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Kalasin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?