Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Naga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Naga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $770 in Naga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,117 in Naga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,463 in Naga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than Naga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Naga 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.65 ₱222

24.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$17.76 ₱1,078

162.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.40 ₱206

149.12%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.44 ₱148

24.18%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.77 ₱46.49

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.40 ₱24.15

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.37 ₱83.0

81.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.15 ₱131

70.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.90 ₱115

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.27 ₱76.9

49.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.85 ₱51.4

158.82%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.70 ₱103

30.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.00 ₱486

149.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.19 ₱255

-12.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.87 ₱478

68.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.86 ₱174

12.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.54 ₱93.7

10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.58 ₱157

-7.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.55 ₱93.9

34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.31 ₱140

-31.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.50 ₱152

-40.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.06 ₱64.3

-2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.73 ₱44.19

-28.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.52 ₱153

68.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$3.80 ₱230

394.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.15 ₱69.8

53.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.04 ₱124

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.26 ₱15.58

423.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.84 ₱51.0

273.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.22 ₱13.27

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.07 ₱126

565.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.15 ₱69.9

16.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$27.0K ₱1.6M

2.63%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.2K ₱1.2M

67.78%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$110 ₱6,701

11.99%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$32.14 ₱1,951

-57.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$26.84 ₱1,630

-30.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$33.57 ₱2,038

84.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.92 ₱359

54.39%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$152 ₱9,242

361.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,349 ₱264.1K

264.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$46.62 ₱2,831

27.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$26.17 ₱1,589

34.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$74.8 ₱4,544

54.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$53.3 ₱3,236

57.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$262 ₱15.9K

136.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$174 ₱10.6K

148.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$326 ₱19.8K

532.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$268 ₱16.3K

463.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$145 ₱8,823

248.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Naga: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $262 in Naga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 249% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Naga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $194 per month, with Naga cheaper across the board.

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 Naga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Naga differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $770 including rent). Naga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 249% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $262 in Naga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $770 in Naga – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $770 in Naga versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Naga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Naga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Naga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Naga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.