Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nong Khai

For one person, living is cheaper in Nong Khai: $918 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Nong Khai
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Nong Khai Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nong Khai

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 Nong Khai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $918 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Nong Khai $918

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $1,472 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Nong Khai $1,472

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $2,026 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Nong Khai $2,026

Phuket costs about 32% more than Nong Khai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phuket and Nong Khai are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Nong Khai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$3.03 ฿101

45.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$24.24 ฿810

33.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.94 ฿265

10.33%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.94 ฿64.9

45.88%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.65 ฿21.61

38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.34 ฿11.34

38.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.92 ฿64.1

32.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.24 ฿108

18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.81 ฿60.4

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.41 ฿47.15

4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.40 ฿46.88

7.86%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.98 ฿66.0

9.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$17.41 ฿582

13.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.66 ฿89.0

25.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$10.93 ฿365

2.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.72 ฿91.0

4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$0.99 ฿33.06

71.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.22 ฿74.1

-1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.83 ฿61.1

12.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.52 ฿50.9

-4.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.19 ฿39.91

15.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.13 ฿37.70

-5.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.49 ฿16.31

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.46 ฿149

-4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$17.97 ฿600

3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.71 ฿57.2

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.50 ฿83.5

14.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.88 ฿29.57

156.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.11 ฿37.19

171.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.00 ฿33.56

6.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$6.74 ฿225

-42.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.38 ฿46.27

5.07%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$22.6K ฿756.9K

16.25%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$27.9K ฿932.6K

-3.44%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$78.5 ฿2,624

22.75%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$9.94 ฿332

11.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$19.60 ฿655

-12.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$47.18 ฿1,577

10.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$14.48 ฿484

-22.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$7.07 ฿236

10.47%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$515 ฿17.2K

7.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$9,737 ฿325.4K

18.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$51.2 ฿1,711

25.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$27.43 ฿917

4.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$65.1 ฿2,175

46.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$82.1 ฿2,744

7.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$387 ฿12.9K

90.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$297 ฿9,932

55.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,157 ฿38.7K

81.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$669 ฿22.4K

79.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,170 ฿72.5K

60.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,538 ฿51.4K

64.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$452 ฿15.1K

10.73%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Nong Khai: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Nong Khai

$297 32.4% 35.7% $165

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Nong Khai

$248 27.1% 7.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Nong Khai

$108 11.8% 13.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Nong Khai

$102 11.1% 18.3% $23

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Nong Khai

$91 10% 24.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Nong Khai

$61 6.7% 9.5% $6.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Nong Khai

$9.7 * 1.1% 75.5% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $387 in Nong Khai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $24.00 in Nong Khai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $248 – making Nong Khai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Nong Khai

🕒 Local time

23:31 11:31 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

35,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Phuket Nong Khai 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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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 Nong Khai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,376 in Nong Khai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nong Khai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,208 in Phuket and $918 in Nong Khai. That's a gap of about 32%.

Kindergarten costs $556 per month in Phuket and $515 in Nong Khai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nong Khai, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Nong Khai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nong Khai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nong Khai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.