Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Palma Soriano Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Palma Soriano

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,582 in Palma Soriano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,882 in Palma Soriano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,181 in Palma Soriano.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 20% less than in Palma Soriano, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Palma Soriano is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$4.89 CUP 117

-4.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,057

$25.23 CUP 606

27.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$5.03 CUP 121

72.56%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.1

$3.23 CUP 77.6

-10.22%

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

$0.84 ฿27.69

$1.29 CUP 30.88

-34.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.05

$0.88 CUP 21.16

-44.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.5

$2.95 CUP 70.8

-15.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.38 CUP 57.1

56.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿61.9

$1.96 CUP 47.10

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.21

$1.43 CUP 34.37

-1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.2

$1.03 CUP 24.68

57.28%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.5

$1.22 CUP 29.25

83.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿651

$6.09 CUP 146

225.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.08 CUP 146

-42.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿373

$11.21 CUP 269

1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.1

$1.86 CUP 44.67

55.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.21 CUP 29.11

42.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.6

$1.47 CUP 35.22

54.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.0

$1.53 CUP 36.70

39.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.38

$1.02 CUP 24.51

44.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.59

$0.97 CUP 23.29

46.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.00

$1.01 CUP 24.36

8.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.62

$1.07 CUP 25.73

-43.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿141

$3.04 CUP 73.1

41.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿610

$9.99 CUP 240

86.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.1

$2.96 CUP 71.2

-39.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.3

$1.96 CUP 46.92

51.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.7

$0.24 CUP 5.75

837.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿771

$30.20 CUP 725

-22.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.83 CUP 43.85

69.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.31

$0.37 CUP 8.76

191.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$12.88 CUP 309

-69.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.83

$1.18 CUP 28.42

21.19%

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

$27.8K ฿911.7K

$65.7K CUP 1.6M

-57.68%

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

$27.0K ฿885.3K

$46.7K CUP 1.1M

-42.26%

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

$105 ฿3,438

$55.2 CUP 1,325

89.86%

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

$11.39 ฿374

$10.15 CUP 244

12.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿576

$150 CUP 3,593

-88.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,783

$40.60 CUP 974

33.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿375

$10.12 CUP 243

13.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿255

$0.98 CUP 23.50

693.88%

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

$576 ฿18.9K

$100 CUP 2,407

474.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.0K

$11.9K CUP 285.6K

-2.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,088

$64.5 CUP 1,549

-1.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿955

$34.65 CUP 831

-16.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,157

$83.6 CUP 2,006

15.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,953

$111 CUP 2,652

-18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$867 CUP 20.8K

-15.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.4K

$791 CUP 19.0K

-36.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.7K

$742 CUP 17.8K

186.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.1K

$646 CUP 15.5K

93.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿115.9K

$322 CUP 7,737

996.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.0K

$326 CUP 7,818

704.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$40.19 CUP 964

1162.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.33

-33.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $867 in Palma Soriano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 1163% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Palma Soriano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $216 per month, with Palma Soriano 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 Palma Soriano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Palma Soriano. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1163% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $867 in Palma Soriano. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 29% less than in Palma Soriano. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $100 in Palma Soriano. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,582 in Palma Soriano, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Palma Soriano. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Palma Soriano 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Palma Soriano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.