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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $799 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,294 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,788 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than in Nakhon Ratchasima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.00 ฿99.0

55.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$26.55 ฿877

21.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.38 ฿211

36.05%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.01 ฿66.3

44.28%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.55 ฿18.17

52.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.30 ฿9.86

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.87 ฿61.9

32.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.76 ฿91.3

35.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.69 ฿56.0

11.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.30 ฿43.08

8.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.28 ฿42.35

26.56%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.54 ฿50.8

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$15.68 ฿518

26.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.71 ฿89.6

28.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.30 ฿340

10.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.29 ฿109

-11.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.28 ฿42.34

34.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.97 ฿65.2

15.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.02 ฿66.9

5.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.21 ฿40.05

21.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.06 ฿34.91

33.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.30 ฿43.03

-15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.36 ฿11.86

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.83 ฿93.5

52.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$18.13 ฿599

2.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.68 ฿55.6

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$3.03 ฿100.0

-1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.48 ฿15.89

368.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$19.78 ฿654

18.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.03 ฿34.13

200.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.15 ฿38.16

-6.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$7.42 ฿245

-47.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.36 ฿45.08

5.15%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$46.0K ฿1.5M

-39.60%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$27.3K ฿903.1K

-1.28%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$89.9 ฿2,969

16.61%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$11.69 ฿386

-2.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$19.68 ฿650

-10.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$48.99 ฿1,619

10.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$15.40 ฿509

-25.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.93 ฿163

57.81%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$180 ฿5,943

220.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$14.9K ฿491.5K

-22.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$52.3 ฿1,727

21.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$30.02 ฿992

-3.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$79.9 ฿2,639

20.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$68.2 ฿2,253

32.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$220 ฿7,278

232.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$162 ฿5,352

209.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$502 ฿16.6K

323.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$425 ฿14.1K

194.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$3,331 ฿110.1K

6.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,761 ฿58.2K

48.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$625 ฿20.7K

-18.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.1

9.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $220 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nakhon Ratchasima pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $241 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 58% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $799 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Nakhon Ratchasima. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $220 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% 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 $27.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $799 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,265 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 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.