Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Miraflores Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Miraflores

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $1,044 in Miraflores, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,161 in Miraflores, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $1,279 in Miraflores, rent included.

Phuket costs about 20% more than Miraflores, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Miraflores are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Miraflores 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.19 PEN 14.23

8.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$32.90 PEN 112

40.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$5.02 PEN 17.03

76.10%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.53 PEN 8.57

20.95%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.92 PEN 3.13

-20.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.65 PEN 2.19

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.24 PEN 7.61

8.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.77 PEN 12.80

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.28 PEN 4.34

76.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.13 PEN 3.84

60.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.35 PEN 4.56

66.67%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.93 PEN 9.95

-23.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.18 PEN 27.74

138.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.73 PEN 19.45

-36.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.93 PEN 30.29

46.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.06 PEN 7.00

56.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.08 PEN 3.66

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.15 PEN 3.91

106.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.09 PEN 3.71

86.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.04 PEN 3.52

47.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.84 PEN 2.85

78.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.80 PEN 2.71

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.59 PEN 1.99

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.54 PEN 18.79

-19.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.59 PEN 29.13

113.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.68 PEN 5.70

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.81 PEN 9.52

-4.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.29 PEN 0.99

386.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.41 PEN 11.58

-8.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$2.22 PEN 7.52

-53.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$8.13 PEN 27.56

73.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.23 PEN 4.18

6.50%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

43.49%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$24.8K PEN 84.1K

34.01%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$54.9 PEN 186

122.90%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.10 PEN 27.48

67.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$23.46 PEN 79.6

-20.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$32.98 PEN 112

83.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.14 PEN 24.22

27.03%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$220 PEN 746

221.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$7,866 PEN 26.7K

100.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$50.2 PEN 170

16.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$36.04 PEN 122

-1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$90.9 PEN 308

27.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$82.4 PEN 279

1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$666 PEN 2,259

-6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$503 PEN 1,706

-11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,600 PEN 5,427

27.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,513 PEN 8,524

38.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.11

-47.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Miraflores: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $666 in Miraflores. 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $33.00 in Miraflores. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $194 – making Miraflores 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 Miraflores: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 20%, 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 $1,565 in Miraflores. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $33.00 in Miraflores. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Miraflores, where all-in costs run around $1,044, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Miraflores it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Miraflores – 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 Miraflores. 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.