Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nuku'alofa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nuku'alofa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,017 in Nuku'alofa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,869 in Nuku'alofa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,721 in Nuku'alofa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than in Nuku'alofa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Nuku'alofa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$8.07 TOP 19.03

-44.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$62.1 TOP 147

-24.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$10.32 TOP 24.35

-17.73%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$2.94 TOP 6.94

4.76%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$2.81 TOP 6.63

-75.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$2.44 TOP 5.76

-85.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$3.27 TOP 7.70

-25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.97 TOP 11.72

-26.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.53 TOP 3.62

43.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.06 TOP 2.50

70.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$2.04 TOP 4.81

9.31%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$4.99 TOP 11.78

-55.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$9.27 TOP 21.87

111.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.80 TOP 13.68

-35.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$7.56 TOP 17.84

78.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$2.79 TOP 6.58

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$2.79 TOP 6.59

-41.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.98 TOP 7.03

-19.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$3.79 TOP 8.94

-47.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$3.26 TOP 7.68

-53.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$2.69 TOP 6.35

-46.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$2.25 TOP 5.31

-55.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$1.41 TOP 3.33

-65.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$10.24 TOP 24.15

-58.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$17.20 TOP 40.58

11.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$3.10 TOP 7.31

-40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$3.36 TOP 7.93

-18.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$2.05 TOP 4.83

-30.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$41.79 TOP 98.6

-71.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.12 TOP 5.00

41.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$41.19 TOP 97.2

-66.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.41 TOP 3.32

-8.51%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$5,915 TOP 14.0K

373.98%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$8,394 TOP 19.8K

299.12%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$183 TOP 432

-33.41%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$22.18 TOP 52.3

-37.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$123 TOP 290

-84.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$31.04 TOP 73.2

97.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$41.77 TOP 98.6

-59.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$41.76 TOP 98.5

-78.71%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$161 TOP 380

329.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$245 TOP 579

6488.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$14.63 TOP 34.51

295.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$17.43 TOP 41.12

103.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$20.61 TOP 48.63

450.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$28.60 TOP 67.5

190.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$614 TOP 1,449

-1.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$828 TOP 1,955

144.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$546 TOP 1,289

173.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$420 TOP 990

753.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$250 TOP 589

935.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$692 TOP 1,632

-27.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Nuku'alofa: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $614 in Nuku'alofa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nuku'alofa pays 37% 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 $62.0 in Nuku'alofa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $293 per month, with Phuket 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 Nuku'alofa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Nuku'alofa differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,223 vs $1,017 including rent). Nuku'alofa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Nuku'alofa. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $614 in Nuku'alofa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nuku'alofa – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,223 per month in Phuket versus $1,017 in Nuku'alofa – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Nuku'alofa versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nuku'alofa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nuku'alofa 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 Nuku'alofa 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 Nuku'alofa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.