Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nakhon Si Thammarat

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Si Thammarat: $1,003 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Si Thammarat
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Nakhon Si Thammarat Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Nakhon Si Thammarat

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nakhon Si Thammarat

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Nakhon Si Thammarat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,003 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Nakhon Si Thammarat $1,003

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,626 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Nakhon Si Thammarat $1,626

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,249 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Nakhon Si Thammarat $2,249

Phuket costs about 27% more than Nakhon Si Thammarat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Nakhon Si Thammarat are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Nakhon Si Thammarat 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.07 ฿104

45.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$32.72 ฿1,105

-0.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.63 ฿291

2.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.84 ฿96.1

-0.35%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.95 ฿32.05

-8.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.47 ฿15.76

4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.47 ฿83.3

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.81 ฿129

-3.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.67 ฿56.5

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.47 ฿49.72

-0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.52 ฿51.3

-1.32%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.11 ฿71.3

-0.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$19.37 ฿654

-1.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.41 ฿115

-3.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.14 ฿376

-2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.84 ฿96.0

3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.67 ฿56.4

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.28 ฿77.0

-1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.04 ฿68.8

1.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.47 ฿49.80

2.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.37 ฿46.11

0.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.06 ฿35.72

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.51 ฿17.07

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.44 ฿150

-5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$18.27 ฿617

2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.77 ฿59.9

2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.89 ฿97.5

-1.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.85 ฿28.55

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.16 ฿39.29

160.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.05 ฿35.46

-2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$3.81 ฿129

-3.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.42 ฿48.05

3.52%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$27.1K ฿913.8K

-1.04%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$27.2K ฿917.8K

-1.79%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$98.3 ฿3,321

-2.01%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$11.37 ฿384

-0.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$17.10 ฿577

-1.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$47.49 ฿1,604

41.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$13.15 ฿444

-18.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.69 ฿260

-2.47%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$555 ฿18.7K

-14.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$11.6K ฿392.5K

-3.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$63.6 ฿2,149

-1.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$28.79 ฿972

-1.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$95.5 ฿3,224

-1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$89.5 ฿3,023

-4.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$431 ฿14.6K

65.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$301 ฿10.2K

62.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,150 ฿38.8K

67.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$698 ฿23.6K

105.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,924 ฿65.0K

117.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,428 ฿48.2K

113.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Si Thammarat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$301 30.1% 38.6% $189

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$267 26.6% 0.2% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$127 12.7% 1.9% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$125 12.5% 2.4% $2.9

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$110 11% 9.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$63 6.3% 23.5% $19

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$9.8 * 1% 86.1% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $431 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. 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 $32 in Phuket versus $33 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Nakhon Si Thammarat

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

102,152

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Phuket Nakhon Si Thammarat 180 km

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Si Thammarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,003 in Nakhon Si Thammarat – Nakhon Si Thammarat comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,504 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nakhon Si Thammarat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $431 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $555 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,003 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. That makes Nakhon Si Thammarat about 22% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,003 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,003 in Nakhon Si Thammarat to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.