Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Palmas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Palmas

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $814 in Palmas, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,276 in Palmas, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,738 in Palmas, rent included.

Phuket costs about 51% more than Palmas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Palmas are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Palmas 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.81 R$19.64

15.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$19.83 R$102

62.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.60 R$39.13

17.50%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.41 R$7.27

105.67%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.84 R$9.46

-52.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.14 R$5.87

-57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.33 R$6.83

76.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.94 R$15.13

26.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.09 R$5.62

71.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.43 R$7.35

2.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.85 R$14.71

-45.61%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.61 R$13.46

-19.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.90 R$35.53

183.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.17 R$16.35

7.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$6.10 R$31.40

86.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.21 R$11.39

34.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.63 R$8.42

3.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.21 R$6.25

82.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.16 R$5.96

86.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.17 R$6.02

29.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.09 R$5.61

22.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.80 R$4.11

41.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.76 R$3.90

-27.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.31 R$11.88

84.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$6.70 R$34.49

184.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.20 R$6.20

48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.04 R$10.49

36.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.72 R$3.72

209.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$43.19 R$223

-47.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.37 R$7.06

121.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.75 R$3.87

36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.90 R$35.53

-43.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.22 R$6.27

22.13%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$23.8K R$122.9K

11.46%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$32.4K R$166.7K

-16.46%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$112 R$577

-8.49%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$11.45 R$59.0

-1.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$19.03 R$98.0

-8.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$22.92 R$118

127.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$27.23 R$140

-59.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$6.38 R$32.86

20.53%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$152 R$782

269.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,233 R$37.3K

59.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$35.28 R$182

78.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$54.5 R$281

-45.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$109 R$563

-10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$70.2 R$362

26.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$294 R$1,515

151.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$196 R$1,010

146.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$612 R$3,154

244.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$410 R$2,111

199.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,578 R$8,128

129.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,302 R$6,705

100.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.06

-49.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Palmas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $294 in Palmas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $20.00 in Palmas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $175 – making Palmas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Palmas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Phuket, $814 in Palmas – roughly 51% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,220 in Palmas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palmas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $20.00 in Palmas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,232 in Phuket and $814 in Palmas. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Palmas, where all-in costs run around $814, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Palmas 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 $814 in Palmas to $1,232 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 Palmas. 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.