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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $557 in Naga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $854 in Naga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,151 in Naga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 127% more expensive than in Naga, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Naga 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$5.32 ₱334

-12.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$13.41 ₱841

140.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$2.81 ₱176

208.90%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.78 ₱175

4.32%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.75 ₱46.90

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.25 ₱15.79

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.27 ₱79.9

95.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.10 ₱194

20.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.97 ₱124

-4.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.85 ₱53.5

65.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.85 ₱53.2

90.59%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.69 ₱106

32.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.51 ₱659

88.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.08 ₱256

-14.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.14 ₱447

59.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.01 ₱126

44.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.71 ₱107

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.33 ₱146

-2.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.43 ₱152

-12.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.51 ₱157

-41.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.33 ₱146

-39.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$4.82 ₱302

-77.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.62 ₱38.98

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.85 ₱179

51.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$3.90 ₱244

376.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.59 ₱99.5

13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.55 ₱34.43

463.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.16 ₱72.7

23.28%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

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

$105 ฿3,462

$101 ₱6,316

4.02%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$24.23 ₱1,519

-52.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$26.46 ₱1,659

-33.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$7.82 ₱490

594.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.66 ₱292

66.95%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$7,917 ₱496.3K

46.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$157 ₱9,817

368.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$86.8 ₱5,442

476.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$250 ₱15.6K

751.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$199 ₱12.4K

530.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$144 ₱9,027

252.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Naga: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $157 in Naga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 252% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Naga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $208 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 127% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $557 including rent). Naga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 252% higher in Phuket, 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: $733 in Phuket versus $157 in Naga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Naga – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $557 in Naga – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $557 in Naga versus $1,265 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 127% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.