Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kolonia

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,511 in Kolonia, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kolonia

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kolonia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,511 in Kolonia.

Phuket $1,278
Kolonia $1,511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,267 in Kolonia.

Phuket $2,216
Kolonia $2,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,022 in Kolonia.

Phuket $3,154
Kolonia $3,022

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in Kolonia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Kolonia is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.17 $10.17

-56.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$24.73 $24.73

31.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.86 $9.86

-10.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.42 $4.42

-35.97%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.98 $0.98

-11.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.23 $1.23

108.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.98 $1.98

85.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.97 $1.97

-25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.21 $1.21

23.97%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$7.18 $7.18

-70.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$24.12 $24.12

-86.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$66.3 $66.3

-83.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$6.67 $6.67

-56.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.14 $2.14

-21.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$6.76 $6.76

-66.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$11.22 $11.22

-81.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$13.15 $13.15

-88.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$5.85 $5.85

-81.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.98 $1.98

-73.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.98 $8.98

109.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.48 $1.48

22.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.52 $1.52

86.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.40 $1.40

5.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$197 $197

-51.08%

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$14.99 $14.99

348.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$695 $695

3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$504 $504

-2.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,017 $1,017

89.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$810 $810

76.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

400000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kolonia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kolonia

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kolonia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kolonia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kolonia

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kolonia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kolonia

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kolonia

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $695 in Kolonia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $25 in Kolonia. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $617, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇫🇲 Kolonia

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

11:55 11:55 AM

4 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

6,074

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Kolonia 6,590 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kolonia

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 Kolonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Kolonia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $2,267 in Kolonia 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: $716 in Phuket versus $695 in Kolonia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,511 in Kolonia – Phuket is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 132% higher in Kolonia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,511 in Kolonia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kolonia. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Kolonia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.