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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $389 in Luque, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $905 in Luque, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,421 in Luque, rent included.

Phuket costs about 225% more than Luque, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Luque are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Luque 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.20 ₲19.5K

46.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$22.28 ₲135.8K

103.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.75 ₲22.8K

124.80%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.10 ₲6,684

166.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.83 ₲5,088

-16.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.50 ₲3,032

-26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.15 ₲6,993

109.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.55 ₲9,457

140.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.89 ₲5,448

150.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.01 ₲6,136

81.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.97 ₲5,887

123.71%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.63 ₲9,955

35.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.70 ₲40.9K

194.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.13 ₲19.1K

15.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.53 ₲39.8K

107.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.04 ₲12.5K

60.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.78 ₲4,741

106.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.87 ₲5,322

177.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.96 ₲5,843

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.08 ₲6,566

41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.68 ₲4,122

117.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.55 ₲3,375

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.52 ₲3,181

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.39 ₲8,485

217.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.47 ₲51.6K

128.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.72 ₲4,384

147.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.39 ₲8,459

94.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.48 ₲2,900

185.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.60 ₲3,677

403.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.73 ₲4,458

35.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$9.05 ₲55.2K

55.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.86 ₲5,268

58.14%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$14.5K ₲88.2M

94.86%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.6K ₲144.1M

39.16%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$18.90 ₲115.2K

543.92%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.91 ₲84.8K

-2.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$15.18 ₲92.5K

20.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$30.02 ₲183.0K

100.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.99 ₲30.4K

74.15%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$164 ₲999.1K

323.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,245 ₲19.8M

383.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$48.28 ₲294.2K

23.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$31.48 ₲191.9K

10.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$71.3 ₲434.6K

60.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$52.6 ₲320.6K

58.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$310 ₲1.9M

97.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$471 ₲2.9M

220.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,173 ₲7.1M

219.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$470 ₲2.9M

8.11%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Luque: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $310 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 8% 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $22.00 in Luque. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 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 225%, 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $583 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 $1,265 in Phuket and $389 in Luque. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $164 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 $389, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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.