Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lages Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lages

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $816 in Lages, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,313 in Lages, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,810 in Lages, rent included.

Phuket costs about 51% more than Lages, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Lages are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Lages 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.40 R$31.95

-27.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.65 R$133

75.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.23 R$31.11

41.89%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.87 R$9.35

60.43%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.18 R$5.87

-37.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.84 R$4.17

-55.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.17 R$10.85

12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.70 R$18.49

-2.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.91 R$4.53

148.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.40 R$6.99

31.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.08 R$5.40

107.41%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.07 R$10.34

12.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.99 R$54.8

78.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.48 R$22.36

-18.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.45 R$47.15

38.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.99 R$9.92

70.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.33 R$6.61

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.32 R$6.60

82.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.50 R$7.50

35.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.10 R$5.48

41.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.03 R$5.16

45.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.72 R$3.59

41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.63 R$3.13

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.98 R$9.90

124.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.05 R$40.16

134.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.02 R$5.09

74.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.89 R$9.43

45.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.94 R$4.67

48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$38.96 R$194

-70.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.60 R$7.99

95.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.04 R$5.19

-3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.24 R$26.17

168.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.06 R$5.29

27.36%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$24.6K R$122.8K

10.49%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.4K R$136.5K

20.32%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$60.2 R$300

107.61%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$14.47 R$72.2

-6.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$19.66 R$98.1

-5.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$22.47 R$112

173.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$22.02 R$110

-23.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.21 R$31.00

47.99%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$312 R$1,558

123.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,207 R$36.0K

116.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$49.01 R$245

17.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$56.9 R$284

-38.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$82.2 R$410

37.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$63.9 R$319

35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$317 R$1,584

94.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$220 R$1,099

102.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$580 R$2,896

252.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$426 R$2,125

250.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,600 R$7,985

136.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,291 R$6,443

105.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-46.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lages: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $317 in Lages. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $27.00 in Lages. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $191 – making Lages 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 Lages: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Phuket, $816 in Lages – roughly 51% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,223 in Lages. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lages, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $698 per month in Phuket and $312 in Lages. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lages, where all-in costs run around $816, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Lages it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $816 in Lages to $1,232 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Lages. 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.