Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Koh Tao

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,045 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Tao
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Koh Tao Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Koh Tao

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,045

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Koh Tao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,045 in Koh Tao.

Phuket $1,208
Koh Tao $1,045

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,724 in Koh Tao.

Phuket $2,027
Koh Tao $1,724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,404 in Koh Tao.

Phuket $2,845
Koh Tao $2,404

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Koh Tao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Koh Tao 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$3.89 ฿130

13.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$27.00 ฿902

19.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.49 ฿250

16.96%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.39 ฿79.8

18.41%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.76 ฿25.49

18.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.42 ฿14.04

11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.12 ฿71.0

20.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.23 ฿108

18.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.57 ฿52.6

10.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.38 ฿46.03

6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.45 ฿48.38

4.14%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.08 ฿69.6

4.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$18.21 ฿609

8.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$3.27 ฿109

2.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$10.34 ฿346

7.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.80 ฿93.5

1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.56 ฿52.1

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.19 ฿73.1

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.40 ฿46.78

3.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.26 ฿42.08

9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.05 ฿35.10

1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.49 ฿16.31

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.05 ฿135

5.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$17.60 ฿588

5.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.68 ฿56.0

5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.63 ฿88.0

8.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.02 ฿67.5

11.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$2.76 ฿92.2

9.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.98 ฿32.79

8.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$3.37 ฿113

14.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.27 ฿42.56

14.17%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$24.6K ฿821.9K

7.06%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$23.8K ฿796.1K

13.11%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$96.6 ฿3,229

-0.24%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$11.21 ฿375

-1.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$17.15 ฿573

-0.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$55.6 ฿1,858

-6.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$11.50 ฿384

-2.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$7.82 ฿261

-0.13%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$566 ฿18.9K

-1.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$11.7K ฿389.6K

-0.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$63.2 ฿2,112

1.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$28.21 ฿943

1.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$96.4 ฿3,222

-1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$88.8 ฿2,968

-0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$550 ฿18.4K

33.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$351 ฿11.7K

31.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,583 ฿52.9K

32.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$893 ฿29.8K

34.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,685 ฿89.7K

29.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,889 ฿63.1K

33.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Koh Tao: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Koh Tao

$351 33.6% 24.1% $111

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Koh Tao

$254 24.3% 5.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Koh Tao

$125 12% 0.3% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Koh Tao

$124 11.9% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Koh Tao

$104 10% 14.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Koh Tao

$71 6.8% 5.1% $3.4

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Koh Tao

$16 * 1.5% 60.1% $24

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 $737 in Phuket and $550 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $254 per month, with Koh Tao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Koh Tao

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,382

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Koh Tao 290 km

From you

Phuket
Koh Tao

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 Koh Tao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $1,567 in Koh Tao 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: $737 in Phuket versus $550 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $566 in Koh Tao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,045 in Koh Tao versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Koh Tao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.