Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,932 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Panama City

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,932 in Panama City, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Panama City $1,932

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,887 in Panama City, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Panama City $2,887

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,841 in Panama City, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Panama City $3,841

Phuket is about 34% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Panama City is 42% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$11.72 PAB 11.72

-61.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$46.74 PAB 46.74

-30.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.98 PAB 7.98

10.40%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-32.30%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-55.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.64 PAB 1.64

-70.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.26 PAB 3.26

-21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.90 PAB 3.90

-5.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.91 PAB 1.91

-13.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.54 PAB 2.54

-42.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.37 PAB 3.37

-55.49%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.82 PAB 2.82

-25.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$12.60 PAB 12.60

51.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.71 PAB 6.71

-50.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.53 PAB 10.53

3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.04 PAB 4.04

-27.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-12.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.25 PAB 4.25

-47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-50.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.32 PAB 3.32

-54.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$4.34 PAB 4.34

-68.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.40 PAB 2.40

-55.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.71 PAB 1.71

-69.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.05 PAB 6.05

-30.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.38 PAB 11.38

65.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.36 PAB 1.36

33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.80 PAB 2.80

1.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.34 PAB 0.34

326.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$21.28 PAB 21.28

166.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.43 PAB 2.43

24.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-44.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$21.77 PAB 21.77

-83.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.20 PAB 1.20

22.50%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$24.8K PAB 24.8K

8.08%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

25.90%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$132 PAB 132

-27.22%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$28.34 PAB 28.34

-60.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$48.88 PAB 48.88

-65.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$43.02 PAB 43.02

56.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$34.94 PAB 34.94

-69.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$8.43 PAB 8.43

-11.03%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$545 PAB 545

-12.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$9,648 PAB 9,648

16.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$65.8 PAB 65.8

-5.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$47.25 PAB 47.25

-39.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$94.6 PAB 94.6

-0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$110 PAB 110

-21.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,407 PAB 1,407

-49.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$954 PAB 954

-48.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,272 PAB 2,272

-15.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,662 PAB 1,662

-13.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$3,057 PAB 3,057

36.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,729 PAB 1,729

76.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$916 PAB 916

-45.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.39

-12.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Panama City

$954 49.3% 94.2% $463

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Panama City

$326 16.9% 22.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Panama City

$210 10.9% 68.4% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Panama City

$143 7.4% 17.2% $21

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Panama City

$206 10.7% 69.6% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Panama City

$60 3.1% 27.2% $22

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 51.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,407 in Panama City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 82% higher in Panama City. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $47 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $326 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

04:17 4:17 AM

16:17 4:17 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Panama City 18,130 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Panama City

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 Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,899 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,407 in Panama City.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Panama City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $47 in Panama City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Panama City at $1,932. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Panama City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.