Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nakhon Ratchasima Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nakhon Ratchasima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $772 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,256 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,740 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than Nakhon Ratchasima, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Nakhon Ratchasima 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.99 ฿97.6

54.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$27.60 ฿902

69.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.13 ฿200

44.21%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.07 ฿67.6

44.93%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.55 ฿18.08

34.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.35 ฿11.43

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.86 ฿60.9

31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.51 ฿81.9

43.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.66 ฿54.4

36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.30 ฿42.48

41.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.26 ฿41.13

77.78%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.56 ฿51.0

48.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$15.50 ฿507

26.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.44 ฿112

6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.17 ฿365

17.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.19 ฿104

6.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.29 ฿42.17

27.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.99 ฿65.0

21.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.39 ฿45.53

46.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.48 ฿48.39

5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.21 ฿39.58

23.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.37 ฿44.92

-25.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.39 ฿12.64

25.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.86 ฿93.6

55.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$18.79 ฿614

0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.77 ฿57.8

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.29 ฿75.0

20.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.48 ฿15.65

191.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$20.39 ฿667

-43.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.05 ฿34.45

197.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.29 ฿42.31

-22.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.71 ฿252

82.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.25 ฿40.95

8.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$82.6K ฿2.7M

-67.09%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.6K ฿904.0K

19.08%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$77.2 ฿2,524

61.95%

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

$13.57 ฿444

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$18.53 ฿606

-0.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$48.00 ฿1,570

28.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.28 ฿500

10.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.94 ฿162

86.03%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$186 ฿6,082

275.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$9,278 ฿303.4K

68.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$29.87 ฿977

93.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.72 ฿645

78.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$80.0 ฿2,617

41.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$43.78 ฿1,432

97.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$213 ฿6,976

188.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$165 ฿5,400

170.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$509 ฿16.7K

301.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$433 ฿14.1K

244.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,382 ฿110.6K

11.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,757 ฿57.5K

50.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$632 ฿20.7K

-17.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.1

4.51%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $213 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nakhon Ratchasima pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $245 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Nakhon Ratchasima differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $772 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Nakhon Ratchasima earns 21% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $213 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.