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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $595 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $959 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,322 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

Phuket costs about 112% more than Kampong Thom, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Phuket and Kampong Thom are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kampong Thom 56% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kampong Thom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.56 ฿150
$4.93 ៛19.7K
-7.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.63 ฿1,535
$30.53 ៛122.4K
52.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.47 ฿279
$6.97 ៛27.9K
21.52%
Cappuccino
$3.03 ฿99.7
$2.65 ៛10.6K
14.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 ฿22.69
$0.99 ៛3,977
-30.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 ฿12.04
$0.98 ៛3,930
-62.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.49 ฿81.9
$1.54 ៛6,168
61.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿120
$2.44 ៛9,776
50.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kampong Thom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.18 ฿71.8
$2.08 ៛8,339
4.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.90 ฿62.6
$1.47 ៛5,886
29.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ฿72.4
$0.98 ៛3,925
124.49%
Eggs
$2.22 ฿73.2
$1.75 ៛6,994
26.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.99 ฿658
$12.65 ៛50.7K
58.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.66 ฿121
$4.16 ៛16.7K
-12.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.25 ฿436
$10.30 ៛41.3K
28.64%
Apples (1kg)
$3.23 ฿106
$4.44 ៛17.8K
-27.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿55.9
$1.53 ៛6,113
11.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.39 ฿78.8
$3.91 ៛15.7K
-38.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿68.4
$1.46 ៛5,835
42.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.59 ฿52.4
$1.74 ៛6,991
-8.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 ฿48.83
$1.21 ៛4,831
22.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 ฿33.90
$1.41 ៛5,651
-26.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.01
$0.67 ៛2,683
-22.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.25 ฿140
$1.95 ៛7,815
117.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿618
$11.53 ៛46.2K
62.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 ฿57.8
$1.00 ៛4,008
76.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ฿90.8
$1.68 ៛6,724
64.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kampong Thom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 ฿44.79
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.36 ฿374
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.14 ฿103
$1.07 ៛4,301
193.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 ฿34.10
$1.03 ៛4,125
0.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.77 ฿453
$4.57 ៛18.3K
201.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 ฿44.26
$1.17 ៛4,693
14.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K ฿911.1K
$48.5K ៛194.4M
-42.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K ฿1.1M
$36.7K ៛147.2M
-7.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kampong Thom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 ฿4,069
$106 ៛425.8K
16.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.52 ฿445
$6.45 ៛25.8K
109.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69 ฿615
$23.43 ៛93.9K
-20.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kampong Thom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.8 ฿2,035
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.25 ฿568
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.14 ฿301
$4.37 ៛17.5K
109.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kampong Thom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$703 ฿23.1K
$370 ៛1.5M
89.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K ฿522.5K
$11.6K ៛46.6M
36.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kampong Thom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5 ฿1,958
$22.19 ៛88.9K
167.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.07 ฿1,154
$22.03 ៛88.3K
59.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 ฿3,795
$89.7 ៛359.7K
28.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.1 ฿2,767
$72.4 ៛290.3K
16.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kampong Thom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$619 ฿20.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$433 ฿14.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 ฿67.9K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,511 ฿49.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,646 ฿120.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,626 ฿86.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kampong Thom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$507 ฿16.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
10.3
-48.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kampong Thom: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $31.00 in Kampong Thom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $243 – making Kampong Thom 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 Kampong Thom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kampong Thom cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 112%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $893 in Kampong Thom. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket vs Kampong Thom?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Phuket and $595 in Kampong Thom. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $703 per month in Phuket and $370 in Kampong Thom. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Kampong Thom?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kampong Thom, where all-in costs run around $595, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Kampong Thom it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Kampong Thom more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kampong Thom – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Kampong Thom?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kampong Thom. 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.

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