Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Khlong Luang

For one person, living is cheaper in Khlong Luang: $946 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Khlong Luang, Thailand
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Khlong Luang
🇹🇭 Thailand
$946
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Khlong Luang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $946 in Khlong Luang.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Khlong Luang $946

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,552 in Khlong Luang.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Khlong Luang $1,552

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,157 in Khlong Luang.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Khlong Luang $2,157

Living in Phuket is roughly 35% more expensive than in Khlong Luang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Khlong Luang 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Khlong Luang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$3.37 ฿114
32.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$35.38 ฿1,194
-8.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$8.90 ฿300
-1.01%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$1.99 ฿67.0
42.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$0.71 ฿23.96
22.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.29 ฿9.72
68.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.35 ฿79.4
8.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.70 ฿91.0
36.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Khlong Luang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.74 ฿58.8
-4.60%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$1.42 ฿47.80
2.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.37 ฿46.17
9.49%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.13 ฿72.0
-1.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$15.57 ฿525
22.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$2.57 ฿86.8
28.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$10.21 ฿345
6.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$3.39 ฿114
-13.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.20 ฿40.59
40.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.94 ฿65.6
15.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.92 ฿64.7
8.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.18 ฿39.93
27.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$1.07 ฿36.22
28.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$1.21 ฿40.85
-11.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.44 ฿14.80
18.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$4.22 ฿142
-0.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$18.02 ฿608
4.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.76 ฿59.3
3.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.92 ฿98.4
-2.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Khlong Luang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$0.91 ฿30.81
59.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.30 ฿43.97
132.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$1.07 ฿36.02
-4.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$3.67 ฿124
0.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.50 ฿50.6
-2.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$45.2K ฿1.5M
-40.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$26.8K ฿903.2K
-0.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Khlong Luang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$91.2 ฿3,075
5.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$11.40 ฿385
-1.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$19.42 ฿655
-13.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Khlong Luang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$47.68 ฿1,609
41.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$13.11 ฿442
-18.15%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$7.38 ฿249
1.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Khlong Luang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$618 ฿20.9K
-22.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$14.1K ฿474.4K
-19.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Khlong Luang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$50.4 ฿1,701
23.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$28.77 ฿971
-1.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$92.9 ฿3,134
1.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$76.1 ฿2,569
12.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Khlong Luang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$424 ฿14.3K
68.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$297 ฿10.0K
65.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,160 ฿39.1K
66.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$703 ฿23.7K
103.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$1,977 ฿66.7K
111.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$1,475 ฿49.8K
106.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Khlong Luang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.96
-6.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Khlong Luang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Khlong Luang
$297 39.5% $194
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Khlong Luang
$244 8.4% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Khlong Luang
$122 2% $2.5
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Khlong Luang
$112 8.4% $10
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Khlong Luang
$99 18.9% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Khlong Luang
$62 24.1% $20
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Khlong Luang
$10 * 85.4% $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 $424 in Khlong Luang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $35 in Khlong Luang. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $244, with Khlong Luang cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇹🇭 Khlong Luang
🕒 Local time
23:12 11:12 PM
23:12 11:12 PM
Same time as Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
118,551
💱 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 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Khlong Luang 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Khlong Luang

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 Khlong Luang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Khlong Luang cheaper than Phuket?
Khlong Luang is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. 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 $1,419 in Khlong Luang 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 Khlong Luang?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $424 in Khlong Luang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Khlong Luang?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Khlong Luang?
All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $946 in Khlong Luang – Khlong Luang is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Khlong Luang?
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 Khlong Luang?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Khlong Luang are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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