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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,148 in Paks.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,661 in Paks.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,174 in Paks.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Paks, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Paks 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$8.50 Ft 2,571

-46.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$29.11 Ft 8,808

60.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.69 Ft 2,023

26.61%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$0.82 Ft 248

269.51%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.06 Ft 321

-34.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.72 Ft 219

-48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.12 Ft 338

122.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.31 Ft 397

179.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.09 Ft 329

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.54 Ft 466

23.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.84 Ft 557

19.57%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.95 Ft 893

-24.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.59 Ft 2,902

108.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.58 Ft 1,688

-34.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.99 Ft 3,324

20.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.03 Ft 614

59.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.95 Ft 591

-12.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.08 Ft 629

14.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$4.21 Ft 1,273

-50.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.39 Ft 419

14.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.29 Ft 391

14.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.47 Ft 446

-29.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.49 Ft 149

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$7.24 Ft 2,191

-41.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.61 Ft 2,001

184.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.14 Ft 344

54.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.20 Ft 363

130.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.17 Ft 354

16.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$24.58 Ft 7,437

-53.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.83 Ft 856

10.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.28 Ft 388

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$17.35 Ft 5,250

-20.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.76 Ft 533

-23.86%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$31.3K Ft 9.5M

-11.57%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$36.2K Ft 11.0M

-6.50%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$145 Ft 43.8K

-14.56%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$30.24 Ft 9,149

-55.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$25.03 Ft 7,573

-25.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$46.21 Ft 14.0K

33.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$16.68 Ft 5,047

3.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.84 Ft 2,372

16.58%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$460 Ft 139.3K

52.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,756 Ft 2.0M

134.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$87.6 Ft 26.5K

-32.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$26.14 Ft 7,909

34.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$95.0 Ft 28.7K

21.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$105 Ft 31.7K

-19.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$454 Ft 137.3K

36.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$342 Ft 103.6K

26.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$628 Ft 189.9K

228.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$537 Ft 162.6K

181.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$3,305 Ft 999.9K

10.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,492 Ft 753.9K

5.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,361 Ft 411.7K

-62.74%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Paks: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $454 in Paks. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paks pays 168% 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 $293 vs $226 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,148 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Paks earns 168% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $454 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 $1,148 in Paks versus $1,261 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.