Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Palanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Palanga: $914 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Palanga
🇱🇹 Lithuania
$914
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Palanga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Palanga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $914 in Palanga, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Palanga $914

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,487 in Palanga, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Palanga $1,487

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $2,059 in Palanga, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Palanga $2,059

Phuket costs about 32% more than Palanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phuket and Palanga are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Palanga 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Palanga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿153
$12.15 €10.81
-62.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,086
$67.6 €60.2
-51.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿286
$7.95 €7.08
7.55%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.0
$3.43 €3.05
-20.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.25
$2.65 €2.36
-64.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.39
$2.86 €2.54
-82.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$5.45 €4.85
-52.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$4.88 €4.34
-21.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Palanga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$1.44 €1.28
20.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.82
$1.80 €1.60
-20.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.0
$1.77 €1.58
-13.56%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$2.95 €2.62
-26.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿640
$9.97 €8.87
92.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿110
$7.27 €6.47
-54.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿372
$12.33 €10.96
-9.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.5
$1.57 €1.40
87.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.1
$1.56 €1.39
7.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿76.8
$1.65 €1.46
39.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$2.95 €2.62
-27.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$0.79 €0.70
93.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.55
$0.94 €0.84
44.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.44
$1.47 €1.31
-23.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$0.82 €0.73
-32.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$5.73 €5.10
-25.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿608
$8.33 €7.41
118.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$1.73 €1.54
0.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.3
$2.07 €1.84
34.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Palanga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.1
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿737
$33.46 €29.76
-34.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.3
$1.15 €1.02
153.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.79
$0.87 €0.78
16.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$13.16 €11.70
-70.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.85
$1.82 €1.62
-18.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿891.6K
$27.3K €24.2K
-2.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿892.7K
$28.8K €25.6K
-7.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Palanga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,321
$199 €177
-50.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿377
$15.02 €13.36
-24.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿580
$14.04 €12.49
23.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Palanga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,747
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿253
$8.71 €7.75
-13.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Palanga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$461 €410
21.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿383.9K
$8,748 €7,782
31.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Palanga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,102
$85.3 €75.9
-26.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿955
$40.65 €36.16
-29.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,213
$81.4 €72.4
18.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,943
$160 €143
-45.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Palanga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿115.6K
$5,025 €4,469
-31.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.2K
$2,866 €2,549
-13.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Palanga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
$1,493 €1,328
-66.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.05
37.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Palanga: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Palanga
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Palanga
$243 9.3% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Palanga
$228 78.4% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Palanga
$166 33.4% $41
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Palanga
$221 82.4% $100
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Palanga
$17 * 74.1% $50
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Palanga
$39 * 0.2% $0.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 203% higher in Palanga, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $68.0 in Palanga. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $243 in Palanga – so Palanga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇱🇹 Palanga
🕒 Local time
02:36 2:36 AM
22:36 10:36 PM
4 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
15,732
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Palanga 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Palanga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Palanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Palanga compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Phuket, $914 in Palanga – roughly 32% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Palanga?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,371 in Palanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Palanga?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $914 in Palanga. That's a gap of about 32%.
How do commuting costs compare in Phuket and in Palanga?
Public transport costs about 52% less in Palanga. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Palanga, where all-in costs run around $914, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Palanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Palanga?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $914 in Palanga to $1,207 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Phuket or Palanga safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Phuket and Palanga?
If budget matters most, go with Palanga. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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