For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,628 in Lod, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
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 Lod actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,628 in Lod.
Phuket $1,207
Lod $2,628
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $4,070 in Lod.
Phuket $2,037
Lod $4,070
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $5,512 in Lod.
Phuket $2,867
Lod $5,512
🌍
Living in Phuket costs roughly 54% less than in Lod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Lod is 95% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Lod
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58฿153
$23.40₪72.8
-80.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48฿1,086
$98.4₪306
-66.98%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.55฿286
$19.61₪61.0
-56.40%
Cappuccino
$2.72฿91.0
$5.01₪15.58
-45.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94฿31.25
$3.58₪11.14
-73.74%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.39
$2.88₪8.97
-82.99%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.59฿86.6
$8.10₪25.20
-68.02%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83฿128
$9.90₪30.80
-61.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Lod
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.74฿58.1
$2.36₪7.35
-26.27%
White Bread(500g)
$1.43฿47.82
$3.32₪10.34
-56.93%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.53฿51.0
$3.56₪11.09
-57.02%
Eggs
$2.17฿72.7
$4.93₪15.34
-55.98%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.15฿640
$17.36₪54.0
10.31%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.30฿110
$14.46₪44.98
-77.18%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.14฿372
$25.14₪78.2
-55.69%
Apples(1kg)
$2.95฿98.5
$4.41₪13.71
-33.11%
Banana(1kg)
$1.68฿56.1
$3.30₪10.27
-49.09%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.30฿76.8
$2.49₪7.75
-7.63%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.13฿71.3
$2.34₪7.27
-8.97%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53฿51.1
$1.87₪5.81
-18.18%
Onion(1kg)
$1.36฿45.55
$1.64₪5.10
-17.07%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.12฿37.44
$1.98₪6.15
-43.43%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55฿18.24
$1.83₪5.68
-69.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26฿142
$13.63₪42.41
-68.75%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.19฿608
$15.25₪47.45
19.28%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74฿58.2
$3.71₪11.54
-53.10%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79฿93.3
$4.29₪13.36
-34.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Lod
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.22฿74.1
$2.74₪8.51
-18.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$22.06฿737
$97.5₪303
-77.37%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.91฿97.3
$4.00₪12.44
-27.25%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.01฿33.79
$1.14₪3.56
-11.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.83฿128
$19.90₪61.9
-80.75%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.49฿49.85
$2.65₪8.24
-43.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K฿891.6K
$55.6K₪173.1K
-52.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K฿892.7K
$58.2K₪181.0K
-54.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Lod
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$99.4฿3,321
$287₪892
-65.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28฿377
$11.63₪36.19
-3.01%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36฿580
$34.87₪108
-50.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Lod
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$52.3฿1,747
$73.0₪227
-28.34%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57฿253
$14.66₪45.61
-48.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Lod
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$558฿18.7K
$1,420₪4,418
-60.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.5K฿383.9K
$29.0K₪90.3K
-60.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Lod
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9฿2,102
$115₪358
-45.42%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58฿955
$76.8₪239
-62.77%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$96.1฿3,213
$149₪465
-35.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1฿2,943
$165₪513
-46.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Lod
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$729฿24.4K
$1,435₪4,464
-49.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$460฿15.4K
$1,004₪3,123
-54.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,096฿70.0K
$2,310₪7,188
-9.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,222฿40.8K
$1,901₪5,914
-35.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,459฿115.6K
$10.7K₪33.3K
-67.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,489฿83.2K
$7,498₪23.3K
-66.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Lod
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$493฿16.5K
$2,603₪8,098
-81.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.57
4.99
11.62%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026
Last update for Lod: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460 38.1%
Lod
$1K 38.2% ↑ 118%$544
🛒Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268 22.2%
Lod
$450 17.1% ↑ 68.4%$183
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128 10.6%
Lod
$333 12.7% ↑ 160%$205
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124 10.3%
Lod
$228 8.7% ↑ 83.6%$104
🍽Eating Out
Phuket
$121 10.1%
Lod
$392 14.9% ↑ 223%$271
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67 5.6%
Lod
$102 3.9% ↑ 51.7%$35
🚌Getting Around
Phuket
$39 3.2%
Lod
$118 4.5% ↑ 204%$79
🏠Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$1.2K 42.6%
Lod
$1.9K 34.5% ↑ 55.5%$679
🛒Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$605 21.1%
Lod
$1K 18.9% ↑ 71.9%$435
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$139 4.9%
Lod
$345 6.3% ↑ 148%$206
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$276 9.6%
Lod
$506 9.2% ↑ 83.6%$230
🍽Eating Out
Phuket
$398 13.9%
Lod
$1.3K 23.1% ↑ 221%$877
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$146 5.1%
Lod
$205 * 3.7% ↑ 40.4%$59
🚌Getting Around
Phuket
$82 2.9%
Lod
$242 4.4% ↑ 194%$160
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 $729 in Phuket and $1,435 in Lod. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lod pays 428% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $98.0 in Lod for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $450 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.
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 Lod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lod cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Lod?
On paper, salaries run 428% lower in Lod. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Lod?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $1,435 in Lod. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $1,420 in Lod. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Lod?
Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Lod. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Lod?
At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,628 in Lod, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lod. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Lod more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lod, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Lod?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Lod are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Lod. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.