Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Onchan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Onchan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,296 in Onchan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,092 in Onchan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,888 in Onchan.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 4% less than in Onchan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Onchan 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$30.12 IMP 22.41

-84.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$109 IMP 81.4

-57.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$9.84 IMP 7.32

-10.16%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$5.46 IMP 4.06

-43.96%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$2.73 IMP 2.03

-73.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.96 IMP 1.46

-79.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$6.85 IMP 5.09

-64.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.98 IMP 4.45

-36.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.98 IMP 1.47

14.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.02 IMP 1.51

-10.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.96 IMP 1.45

14.80%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$4.16 IMP 3.09

-45.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.97 IMP 5.18

179.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.26 IMP 6.15

-55.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.60 IMP 8.63

12.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.34 IMP 1.74

38.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.76 IMP 1.31

-7.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.60 IMP 1.94

-8.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.86 IMP 2.13

-29.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.39 IMP 1.78

-35.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.50 IMP 1.86

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.60 IMP 1.19

-38.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$2.07 IMP 1.54

-74.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$22.34 IMP 16.62

-80.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$11.78 IMP 8.76

55.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$4.05 IMP 3.01

-54.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$3.79 IMP 2.82

-29.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$5.14 IMP 3.82

-39.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.47 IMP 1.09

-29.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$82.8 IMP 61.6

-82.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$2.15 IMP 1.60

-39.07%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$34.9K IMP 26.0K

-20.33%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$35.6K IMP 26.5K

-6.59%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$300 IMP 223

-59.16%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$38.46 IMP 28.62

-64.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$69.9 IMP 52.0

-73.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$13.47 IMP 10.02

-32.67%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$1,299 IMP 967

-45.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$32.6K IMP 24.2K

-51.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$96.8 IMP 72.0

-39.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$41.33 IMP 30.75

-14.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$124 IMP 92.5

-7.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$76.7 IMP 57.0

9.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.66

45.63%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Onchan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $109 in Onchan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $303 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 Onchan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Onchan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,944 in Onchan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $1,299 in Onchan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $109 in Onchan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,296 in Onchan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Onchan. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,250 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Onchan 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Onchan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.