Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kampong Cham Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kampong Cham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $591 in Kampong Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $947 in Kampong Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,303 in Kampong Cham.

Living in Phuket is roughly 113% more expensive than Kampong Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kampong Cham 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.56 ៛10.3K

78.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$23.75 ៛95.3K

96.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.09 ៛32.4K

4.70%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.67 ៛6,690

81.44%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.73 ៛2,936

-5.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.51 ៛2,028

-27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.97 ៛3,906

156.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.92 ៛7,700

90.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.73 ៛6,962

26.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.36 ៛5,450

39.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.72 ៛2,877

205.56%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.63 ៛6,554

36.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$14.54 ៛58.3K

37.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.59 ៛14.4K

1.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.89 ៛35.7K

49.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.97 ៛7,916

63.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.76 ៛3,069

123.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.02 ៛12.1K

-20.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.98 ៛3,929

112.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.21 ៛4,868

31.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.91 ៛3,670

62.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.35 ៛5,436

-23.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.62 ៛2,472

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.24 ៛4,962

242.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.55 ៛30.3K

148.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.53 ៛2,135

232.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.98 ៛7,946

39.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.77 ៛3,093

35.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$5.14 ៛20.6K

167.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.08 ៛4,324

24.07%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$35.2K ៛141.3M

-21.40%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$39.6K ៛159.1M

-14.56%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$74.1 ៛297.3K

66.81%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$5.87 ៛23.6K

130.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$19.85 ៛79.7K

-5.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$9.87 ៛39.6K

526.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.31 ៛25.3K

44.85%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$399 ៛1.6M

75.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$2,479 ៛9.9M

540.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$10.18 ៛40.9K

484.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$18.12 ៛72.7K

93.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$55.6 ៛223.1K

107.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$36.01 ៛144.5K

133.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$395 ៛1.6M

56.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$126 ៛505.4K

243.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$547 ៛2.2M

276.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$295 ៛1.2M

412.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-70.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kampong Cham: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $395 in Kampong Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Kampong Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $200 per month, with Kampong Cham 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 Kampong Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kampong Cham differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $591 including rent). Kampong Cham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $887 in Kampong Cham 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $395 in Kampong Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $591 in Kampong Cham – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $591 in Kampong Cham versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kampong Cham but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kampong Cham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kampong Cham 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 Kampong Cham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.