Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paks Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paks

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,143 in Paks.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,672 in Paks.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,201 in Paks.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than Paks, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Paks 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$8.40 Ft 2,622

-44.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$28.60 Ft 8,925

63.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.03 Ft 2,193

25.75%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.87 Ft 272

244.83%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.08 Ft 337

-31.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.71 Ft 223

-47.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.12 Ft 351

117.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.32 Ft 412

173.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.08 Ft 338

109.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.53 Ft 477

20.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.80 Ft 561

24.44%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.86 Ft 892

-18.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.48 Ft 2,958

107.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.61 Ft 1,750

-34.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.22 Ft 3,501

16.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.03 Ft 634

67.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.97 Ft 613

-16.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.12 Ft 660

13.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.21 Ft 1,315

-51.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.38 Ft 432

13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.29 Ft 403

16.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.48 Ft 463

-31.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.53 Ft 166

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$7.41 Ft 2,313

-39.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.46 Ft 2,015

192.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.14 Ft 354

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.23 Ft 384

123.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.12 Ft 348

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$25.08 Ft 7,825

-54.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.92 Ft 910

6.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.26 Ft 394

-20.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$17.33 Ft 5,406

-18.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.77 Ft 551

-23.73%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$32.2K Ft 10.0M

-15.57%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$36.8K Ft 11.5M

-10.56%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$145 Ft 45.3K

-13.94%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$29.97 Ft 9,352

-54.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$24.24 Ft 7,565

-23.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$46.58 Ft 14.5K

31.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$16.77 Ft 5,232

0.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.86 Ft 2,453

16.92%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$460 Ft 143.7K

51.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,679 Ft 2.1M

133.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$88.1 Ft 27.5K

-34.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$25.56 Ft 7,974

37.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$94.7 Ft 29.6K

19.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$108 Ft 33.6K

-19.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$442 Ft 137.8K

39.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$347 Ft 108.3K

28.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$623 Ft 194.4K

228.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$533 Ft 166.2K

180.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,198 Ft 997.7K

18.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,436 Ft 759.9K

8.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,370 Ft 427.6K

-61.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Paks: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $442 in Paks. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paks pays 162% 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 $29.00 in Paks for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $227 per month, with Paks 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 Paks: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Paks differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,143 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Paks earns 162% 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 $442 in Paks. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Paks – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,143 in Paks versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paks but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Paks 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 Paks 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 Paks gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.