Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Luque Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Luque

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $401 in Luque, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $908 in Luque, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $1,416 in Luque, rent included.

Phuket costs about 212% more than Luque, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Luque are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Luque 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.07 ₲18.5K

48.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$22.20 ₲133.9K

108.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.69 ₲22.3K

139.57%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.12 ₲6,736

173.21%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.87 ₲5,274

-16.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.46 ₲2,783

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.13 ₲6,815

115.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.53 ₲9,247

147.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.91 ₲5,497

148.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.00 ₲6,040

81.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.93 ₲5,605

141.94%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.64 ₲9,914

37.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.63 ₲40.0K

194.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.10 ₲18.7K

17.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.69 ₲40.3K

95.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.05 ₲12.3K

57.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.74 ₲4,447

118.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.92 ₲5,577

158.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.98 ₲5,915

107.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.12 ₲6,728

36.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.68 ₲4,079

120.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.58 ₲3,502

68.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.52 ₲3,132

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.34 ₲8,088

231.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.31 ₲50.1K

120.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.70 ₲4,249

165.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.40 ₲8,413

91.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.51 ₲3,095

176.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.61 ₲3,673

409.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.73 ₲4,380

42.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$8.81 ₲53.1K

60.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.87 ₲5,226

50.57%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$14.7K ₲88.8M

88.95%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$24.3K ₲146.3M

36.96%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$19.02 ₲114.7K

543.74%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$13.83 ₲83.4K

-1.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$14.97 ₲90.3K

24.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$30.31 ₲182.8K

99.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.98 ₲30.0K

82.13%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$167 ₲1.0M

324.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,222 ₲19.4M

390.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$49.67 ₲299.6K

17.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.91 ₲186.4K

14.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$70.9 ₲427.5K

62.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$52.2 ₲314.5K

60.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$309 ₲1.9M

102.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$480 ₲2.9M

211.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,159 ₲7.0M

200.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$459 ₲2.8M

8.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Luque: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $309 in Luque. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $22.00 in Luque. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $144 – making Luque 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 Luque: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 212%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $601 in Luque. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,250 in Phuket and $401 in Luque. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $706 per month in Phuket and $167 in Luque. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Luque, where all-in costs run around $401, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Luque it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Luque – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Luque. 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.