Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Olinda Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Olinda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $730 in Olinda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,191 in Olinda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,652 in Olinda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 73% more expensive than in Olinda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Olinda 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.86 R$24.85

-7.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$27.39 R$140

66.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.19 R$31.67

41.52%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.83 R$9.37

62.30%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.84 R$4.28

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.49 R$2.50

-20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.43 R$7.29

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.13 R$10.89

76.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.10 R$5.65

95.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.24 R$6.37

46.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.00 R$5.12

118.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.92 R$9.81

17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$6.72 R$34.39

197.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.62 R$18.52

0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$7.10 R$36.33

90.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.07 R$10.61

56.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$0.92 R$4.71

78.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.81 R$4.13

187.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.15 R$5.89

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.92 R$4.69

68.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.00 R$5.10

46.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.50 R$2.57

96.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.55 R$2.83

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$1.58 R$8.09

175.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$7.64 R$39.09

143.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.15 R$5.88

61.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.66 R$8.51

59.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.92 R$4.70

54.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$38.39 R$196

-69.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.94 R$4.79

237.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.67 R$3.41

53.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$3.65 R$18.69

280.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.08 R$5.55

24.07%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$17.7K R$90.8K

56.59%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.1K R$113.1K

51.05%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$43.33 R$222

183.98%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$15.74 R$80.6

-12.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$16.68 R$85.4

9.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$22.28 R$114

172.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$21.25 R$109

-19.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$6.65 R$34.02

33.38%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$116 R$596

490.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$6,434 R$32.9K

145.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$42.32 R$217

40.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$42.02 R$215

-17.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$69.6 R$356

65.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$70.9 R$363

18.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$320 R$1,636

94.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$214 R$1,096

108.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$583 R$2,982

248.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$428 R$2,191

249.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,780 R$9,108

94.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,338 R$6,844

89.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$363 R$1,860

35.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-55.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Olinda: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $320 in Olinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 36% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Olinda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $157 per month, with Olinda 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 Olinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olinda wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Olinda the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $320 in Olinda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $730 in Olinda – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Olinda runs roughly 232% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $730 in Olinda versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Olinda but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Olinda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Olinda delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $730 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Olinda hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Olinda 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 Olinda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.