Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lelydorp

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelydorp: $198 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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

Lelydorp

🇸🇷 Suriname

$198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lelydorp

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $198 in Lelydorp.

Phuket $1,278
Lelydorp $198

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $404 in Lelydorp.

Phuket $2,216
Lelydorp $404

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $610 in Lelydorp.

Phuket $3,154
Lelydorp $610

Living in Phuket is roughly 545% more expensive than in Lelydorp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Lelydorp 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.06 SRD 189

-11.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$35.04 SRD 1,310

-7.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.06 SRD 227

45.38%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.27 SRD 47.42

-31.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.46 SRD 17.35

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.99 SRD 74.4

28.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.04 SRD 114

21.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.18 SRD 44.05

40.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.98 SRD 36.47

48.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.18 SRD 44.09

27.12%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.79 SRD 104

-25.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.88 SRD 145

-14.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.79 SRD 291

40.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.47 SRD 54.8

14.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.99 SRD 36.98

52.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.98 SRD 36.74

40.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.86 SRD 32.34

-39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.06 SRD 76.9

-11.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.52 SRD 19.42

178.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.88 SRD 33.08

67.05%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

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 ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$302 SRD 11.3K

66.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-67.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lelydorp: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Lelydorp

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Lelydorp

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Lelydorp

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Lelydorp

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Lelydorp

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Lelydorp

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Lelydorp

–

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays 67% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $35 in Lelydorp. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $115, with Lelydorp cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇷 Lelydorp

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

21:45 9:45 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

19,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SRD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 37.39 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 41.75 SRD (100 SRD = 2.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Lelydorp 16,720 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Lelydorp

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 Lelydorp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lelydorp wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lelydorp the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $198 in Lelydorp – Lelydorp is about 84% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

At $198 in Lelydorp versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Lelydorp but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lelydorp 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lelydorp wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.