Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Koh Tao Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Koh Tao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,057 in Koh Tao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,760 in Koh Tao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,463 in Koh Tao.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than in Koh Tao, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Koh Tao 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.78 ฿124

20.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$27.72 ฿911

17.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.49 ฿246

18.83%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.44 ฿80.1

14.75%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.75 ฿24.69

17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.38 ฿12.51

28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.11 ฿69.3

13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.17 ฿104

17.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.80 ฿59.2

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.38 ฿45.52

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.51 ฿49.68

4.64%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.09 ฿68.7

1.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$18.48 ฿608

7.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.29 ฿108

4.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.69 ฿351

5.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.83 ฿93.2

4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.59 ฿52.2

8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.16 ฿70.9

7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.01 ฿66.0

3.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.44 ฿47.38

2.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.32 ฿43.30

3.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.02 ฿33.62

7.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.51 ฿16.83

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.10 ฿135

4.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$17.52 ฿576

5.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.70 ฿55.9

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.66 ฿87.3

9.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$2.05 ฿67.3

8.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$2.70 ฿88.7

12.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.97 ฿32.01

10.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$3.60 ฿118

9.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.35 ฿44.27

10.37%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$24.2K ฿795.8K

12.09%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$24.2K ฿794.8K

13.57%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$102 ฿3,338

1.25%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$10.98 ฿361

0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$17.74 ฿583

-1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$55.3 ฿1,817

-3.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$11.74 ฿386

-4.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$7.87 ฿259

-4.96%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$570 ฿18.7K

-2.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$11.5K ฿377.2K

3.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$63.5 ฿2,087

0.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$28.56 ฿939

1.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$97.5 ฿3,205

-1.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$89.0 ฿2,928

1.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$559 ฿18.4K

30.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$364 ฿12.0K

37.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,598 ฿52.6K

30.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$910 ฿29.9K

32.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,666 ฿87.7K

34.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,918 ฿63.1K

30.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Koh Tao: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $559 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $259 per month, with Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $1,586 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: $730 in Phuket versus $559 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $570 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 $28.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Koh Tao versus $1,253 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 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.