Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalkan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalkan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $1,119 in Kalkan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,733 in Kalkan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $2,348 in Kalkan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 13% more than Kalkan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Kalkan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kalkan 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$8.81 ₺406

-48.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$44.82 ₺2,066

4.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$9.59 ₺442

-11.68%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$3.43 ₺158

-11.66%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$1.05 ₺48.24

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.36 ₺16.49

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$3.79 ₺175

-34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.87 ₺178

-5.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$1.03 ₺47.61

111.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.92 ₺42.44

106.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$2.34 ₺108

-5.98%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$2.28 ₺105

-2.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$10.97 ₺506

82.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$6.27 ₺289

-41.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$17.93 ₺827

-26.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.18 ₺54.3

173.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$2.17 ₺100

-21.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$1.07 ₺49.19

123.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.30 ₺60.0

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$0.67 ₺30.91

137.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$0.53 ₺24.26

179.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$0.96 ₺44.17

7.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.36 ₺16.72

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$2.08 ₺96.1

104.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$13.98 ₺645

34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$2.15 ₺99.0

-18.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$2.84 ₺131

-2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.63 ₺29.20

115.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$30.25 ₺1,394

-62.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$0.73 ₺33.88

330.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.70 ₺32.26

48.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$5.54 ₺255

148.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.20 ₺55.3

11.67%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$66.4K ₺3.1M

-58.32%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$54.3K ₺2.5M

-37.66%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$73.1 ₺3,371

69.05%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$10.10 ₺466

33.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$13.31 ₺614

40.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$44.11 ₺2,033

40.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$5.61 ₺259

62.92%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$644 ₺29.7K

9.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$11.1K ₺511.2K

43.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$56.3 ₺2,596

5.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$35.56 ₺1,640

-1.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$103 ₺4,758

11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$78.8 ₺3,634

6.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$523 ₺24.1K

18.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$396 ₺18.3K

9.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$896 ₺41.3K

130.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$716 ₺33.0K

111.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$1,477 ₺68.1K

146.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$854 ₺39.4K

207.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

30.12

-82.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kalkan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $523 in Kalkan. 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $45.00 in Kalkan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $241 – making Kalkan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kalkan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,261 in Phuket, $1,119 in Kalkan – roughly 13% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,678 in Kalkan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalkan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Phuket and $1,119 in Kalkan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 166% less in Kalkan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalkan, where all-in costs run around $1,119, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Kalkan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,119 in Kalkan to $1,261 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Kalkan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.