Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Palikir

For one person, living is cheaper in Palikir: $1,021 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Palikir
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Palikir Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Palikir

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Palikir

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 Palikir actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Phuket vs $1,021 in Palikir, rent included.

Phuket $1,190
Palikir $1,021

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Phuket vs $1,593 in Palikir, rent included.

Phuket $2,006
Palikir $1,593

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Phuket vs $2,165 in Palikir, rent included.

Phuket $2,822
Palikir $2,165

Phuket costs about 17% more than Palikir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Phuket and Palikir are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Palikir 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$29.98 $29.98

-85.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,091

$45.63 $45.63

-28.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

$5.88 $5.88

43.20%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.4

$2.92 $2.92

-3.77%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.13 $1.13

-23.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.46

$2.02 $2.02

-77.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

$0.99 $0.99

161.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿123

$2.05 $2.05

77.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.4

$0.22 $0.22

677.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$2.19 $2.19

-33.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$2.14 $2.14

-27.10%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.6

$2.34 $2.34

-10.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿656

$4.31 $4.31

353.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.33 $4.33

-21.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿375

$6.59 $6.59

69.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿95.2

$3.57 $3.57

-20.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$2.48 $2.48

-34.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.8

$2.17 $2.17

2.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.2

$3.06 $3.06

-29.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$3.37 $3.37

-55.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.59

$2.24 $2.24

-40.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.87

$1.92 $1.92

-44.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.08

$1.11 $1.11

-54.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$18.02 $18.02

-75.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿631

$6.91 $6.91

171.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$1.44 $1.44

20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.3

$1.43 $1.43

94.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.9

$0.81 $0.81

167.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿749

$33.38 $33.38

-33.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$6.34 $6.34

-52.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.57

$1.70 $1.70

-37.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$4.91 $4.91

-24.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.08

$3.20 $3.20

-55.31%

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

$26.3K ฿885.8K

$4,053 $4,053

550.07%

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

$26.2K ฿881.0K

$4,073 $4,073

543.40%

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

$96.7 ฿3,250

$39.98 $39.98

141.77%

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

$11.41 ฿384

$15.26 $15.26

-25.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿575

$261 $261

-93.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,775

$41.13 $41.13

28.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿372

$20.37 $20.37

-45.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿257

$7.09 $7.09

7.90%

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

$555 ฿18.7K

$115 $115

381.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.3K

$1,664 $1,664

577.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,132

$19.93 $19.93

218.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿962

$24.85 $24.85

15.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,252

$70.4 $70.4

37.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,979

$54.8 $54.8

61.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.4K

$843 $843

314.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.8K

$694 $694

258.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$252 $252

98.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

380000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Palikir: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Palikir

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Palikir

$213 20.7% 20.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Palikir

$316 30.8% 152% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Palikir

$77 7.5% 38.7% $48

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Palikir

$314 30.6% 163% $195

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Palikir

$55 5.4% 18.8% $13

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Palikir

$51 5% 31.1% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 99% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $46.00 in Palikir. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $213 in Palikir – so Palikir wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇫🇲 Palikir

🕒 Local time

13:21 1:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

4 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

6,942 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Palikir 6,590 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Palikir

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 Palikir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,190 in Phuket, $1,021 in Palikir – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Phuket and $1,531 in Palikir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $46.00 in Palikir. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Palikir, where all-in costs run around $1,021, than in Phuket at $1,190. In Palikir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,021 in Palikir to $1,190 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Palikir. 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.