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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,058 in Miraflores, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,185 in Miraflores, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,312 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 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$4.08 PEN 13.90

15.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$33.86 PEN 115

33.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.99 PEN 16.96

68.94%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.53 PEN 8.59

15.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.91 PEN 3.09

-24.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.60 PEN 2.05

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.19 PEN 7.47

10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.80 PEN 12.92

-2.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.21 PEN 4.13

84.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.14 PEN 3.88

60.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.31 PEN 4.47

65.65%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.82 PEN 9.59

-21.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.09 PEN 27.53

144.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.77 PEN 19.64

-37.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.54 PEN 29.04

58.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.05 PEN 6.99

60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.13 PEN 3.83

42.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.10 PEN 3.73

119.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.12 PEN 3.83

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.03 PEN 3.50

48.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.81 PEN 2.76

82.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.82 PEN 2.79

20.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.58 PEN 1.97

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.40 PEN 18.36

-18.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.86 PEN 30.13

118.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.72 PEN 5.85

3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.70 PEN 9.18

0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.27 PEN 0.91

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.29 PEN 11.19

-8.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$2.21 PEN 7.52

-55.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.32 PEN 28.29

69.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.24 PEN 4.21

9.68%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.1K PEN 64.9K

47.89%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.1K PEN 82.1K

36.30%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$55.0 PEN 187

121.27%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.32 PEN 28.30

63.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$23.61 PEN 80.3

-22.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$32.86 PEN 112

83.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.78 PEN 23.08

28.17%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$215 PEN 732

222.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$8,047 PEN 27.4K

94.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$50.9 PEN 173

16.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$35.51 PEN 121

-2.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$91.7 PEN 312

24.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$83.5 PEN 284

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$677 PEN 2,303

-9.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$499 PEN 1,699

-12.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,598 PEN 5,436

31.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,543 PEN 8,653

47.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Miraflores: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $677 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $34.00 in Miraflores. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $193 – 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,587 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 $45.00 in Phuket and $34.00 in Miraflores. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% 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 $1,058, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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.