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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,123 in Paks.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,677 in Paks.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,230 in Paks.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Paks, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Paks 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$8.86 Ft 2,793

-49.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$28.63 Ft 9,021

59.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.01 Ft 2,210

24.96%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$0.83 Ft 261

257.83%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.07 Ft 337

-35.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.67 Ft 212

-41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.16 Ft 366

118.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.33 Ft 418

181.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.13 Ft 356

90.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.49 Ft 469

22.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.86 Ft 587

17.20%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.93 Ft 923

-23.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$9.56 Ft 3,011

109.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.62 Ft 1,772

-35.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$11.11 Ft 3,499

22.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.96 Ft 618

65.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.04 Ft 644

-19.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.03 Ft 638

14.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.15 Ft 1,309

-50.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.40 Ft 440

10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.30 Ft 408

12.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.47 Ft 463

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.50 Ft 156

-4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$7.18 Ft 2,264

-39.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.42 Ft 2,021

189.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.11 Ft 349

67.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.21 Ft 381

119.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.13 Ft 355

25.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$24.54 Ft 7,733

-52.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.94 Ft 928

7.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.28 Ft 402

-19.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$17.17 Ft 5,409

-19.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.74 Ft 548

-22.99%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$32.2K Ft 10.2M

-13.81%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$36.8K Ft 11.6M

-9.18%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$147 Ft 46.4K

-16.37%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$30.03 Ft 9,461

-54.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$24.49 Ft 7,716

-25.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$47.22 Ft 14.9K

28.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$16.59 Ft 5,228

3.44%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$8.07 Ft 2,544

9.91%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$469 Ft 147.8K

46.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,763 Ft 2.1M

133.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$89.2 Ft 28.1K

-33.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$25.49 Ft 8,032

36.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$95.7 Ft 30.1K

20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$104 Ft 32.7K

-19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$449 Ft 141.4K

38.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$340 Ft 107.2K

31.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$625 Ft 197.0K

225.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$543 Ft 171.0K

175.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$3,079 Ft 970.1K

12.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,324 Ft 732.4K

8.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,308 Ft 412.2K

-62.27%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Paks: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $449 in Paks. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paks pays 165% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Paks for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $1,123 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 165% lower in Paks. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $449 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,123 in Paks versus $1,264 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.