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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,573 in Palma Soriano.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,875 in Palma Soriano.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,176 in Palma Soriano.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 21% less than in Palma Soriano, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Palma Soriano is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.96 CUP 119

-8.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$24.89 CUP 597

85.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$4.89 CUP 117

80.78%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.15 CUP 75.6

-2.86%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.28 CUP 30.62

-42.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.93 CUP 22.33

-56.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.98 CUP 71.4

-18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.50 CUP 60.0

51.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.97 CUP 47.25

14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.42 CUP 34.11

27.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.97 CUP 23.35

131.96%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.23 CUP 29.42

82.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.96 CUP 143

227.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.12 CUP 147

-40.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.17 CUP 268

16.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.83 CUP 43.90

76.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.18 CUP 28.41

37.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.51 CUP 36.30

57.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.53 CUP 36.82

32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.03 CUP 24.65

48.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.98 CUP 23.46

53.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.02 CUP 24.42

-3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.12 CUP 26.77

-53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.98 CUP 71.6

48.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.03 CUP 241

82.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$3.05 CUP 73.1

-39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.04 CUP 49.00

31.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.24 CUP 5.71

487.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$30.34 CUP 728

-61.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.75 CUP 41.99

77.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.37 CUP 8.77

181.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$13.14 CUP 315

7.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.17 CUP 27.98

11.97%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$66.4K CUP 1.6M

-58.08%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$45.9K CUP 1.1M

-27.62%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$54.1 CUP 1,299

126.20%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.97 CUP 239

36.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$148 CUP 3,552

-87.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$39.39 CUP 945

53.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$9.97 CUP 239

70.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$0.98 CUP 23.44

825.51%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$100 CUP 2,404

605.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$11.8K CUP 283.0K

34.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$65.8 CUP 1,579

-10.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$35.05 CUP 841

0.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$85.2 CUP 2,046

35.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$109 CUP 2,616

-23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$867 CUP 20.8K

-27.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$793 CUP 19.0K

-43.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$760 CUP 18.2K

168.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$659 CUP 15.8K

126.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$325 CUP 7,807

970.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$323 CUP 7,758

697.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$40.12 CUP 963

1145.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.33

-36.01%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $867 in Palma Soriano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 1146% 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 $25.00 in Palma Soriano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $217 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 26% 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 1146% 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: $626 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 159% less than in Palma Soriano. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 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 $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,573 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 $1,250 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 26% less than in Palma Soriano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.