Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pak Kret Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pak Kret

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $890 in Pak Kret.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,441 in Pak Kret.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,992 in Pak Kret.

Living in Phuket is roughly 38% more expensive than Pak Kret, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Pak Kret 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.01 ฿98.3

53.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$31.08 ฿1,016

50.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.18 ฿202

43.04%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.13 ฿69.7

40.85%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.72 ฿23.65

2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.27 ฿8.72

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.53 ฿82.7

-3.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.50 ฿81.7

44.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.74 ฿56.9

29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.33 ฿43.64

38.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.45 ฿47.49

54.48%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.19 ฿71.7

5.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$15.61 ฿510

26.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.30 ฿108

10.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.54 ฿312

37.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.40 ฿111

-0.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.33 ฿43.40

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.96 ฿64.1

22.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.42 ฿46.39

42.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.53 ฿50.1

1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.22 ฿39.91

22.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.03 ฿33.62

-0.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.53 ฿17.47

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.74 ฿155

-6.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$17.22 ฿563

9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.76 ฿57.6

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.33 ฿76.2

18.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.94 ฿30.72

48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.09 ฿35.69

186.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.19 ฿38.86

-15.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.46 ฿113

307.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.29 ฿42.26

4.65%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.0K ฿851.1K

4.45%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.6K ฿869.5K

23.81%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$79.3 ฿2,594

57.56%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.43 ฿406

9.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$17.34 ฿567

6.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$49.94 ฿1,633

23.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$12.35 ฿404

36.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.64 ฿250

20.29%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$297 ฿9,706

135.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$9,336 ฿305.3K

67.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$30.44 ฿995

89.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.87 ฿650

77.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$99.6 ฿3,258

13.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$44.42 ฿1,453

94.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$415 ฿13.6K

48.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$288 ฿9,429

54.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$816 ฿26.7K

150.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$655 ฿21.4K

127.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,358 ฿77.1K

60.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,374 ฿44.9K

92.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$770 ฿25.2K

-31.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.84

-8.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Pak Kret: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $415 in Pak Kret. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pak Kret pays 47% 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 $31.00 in Pak Kret for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $243 per month, with Pak Kret 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 Pak Kret: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pak Kret is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Pak Kret earns 47% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $415 in Pak Kret. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $890 in Pak Kret – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $890 in Pak Kret versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pak Kret but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pak Kret the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pak Kret is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pak Kret 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 Pak Kret gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.