Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paradise

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,624 in Paradise, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Paradise
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Paradise Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Paradise

🇬🇾 Guyana

$1,624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Paradise

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,624 in Paradise.

Phuket $1,278
Paradise $1,624

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,131 in Paradise.

Phuket $2,216
Paradise $2,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,637 in Paradise.

Phuket $3,154
Paradise $2,637

Living in Phuket costs roughly 21% less than in Paradise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Paradise is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.69 GYD 2,022

-53.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$64.7 GYD 13.5K

-49.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.46 GYD 1,765

4.14%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.31 GYD 900

-34.34%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$1.18 GYD 246

-26.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.70 GYD 145

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.25 GYD 469

13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.44 GYD 509

50.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.66 GYD 764

-54.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.87 GYD 391

-21.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.79 GYD 373

-16.20%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.54 GYD 738

-40.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$10.19 GYD 2,126

87.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.64 GYD 1,178

-41.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.33 GYD 1,948

16.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$3.90 GYD 814

-24.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.26 GYD 471

-25.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.38 GYD 496

-5.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.45 GYD 511

-15.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.39 GYD 291

8.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$1.93 GYD 403

-28.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$1.28 GYD 267

-16.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$1.66 GYD 347

-68.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.26 GYD 473

85.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.17 GYD 2,332

68.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.57 GYD 328

15.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.41 GYD 502

17.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.59 GYD 124

145.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$29.80 GYD 6,218

90.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.44 GYD 510

23.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$3.32 GYD 694

-69.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$9.39 GYD 1,959

-60.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.04 GYD 216

41.35%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$15.7K GYD 3.3M

70.85%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$17.7K GYD 3.7M

50.49%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$75.1 GYD 15.7K

28.30%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$28.22 GYD 5,890

-60.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$68.6 GYD 14.3K

-75.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$49.80 GYD 10.4K

35.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.25 GYD 1,305

20.00%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$920 GYD 192.0K

-48.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$20.6K GYD 4.3M

-45.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$31.07 GYD 6,485

100.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$46.06 GYD 9,612

-38.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$61.9 GYD 12.9K

52.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$63.6 GYD 13.3K

34.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$296 GYD 61.7K

141.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$783 GYD 163.4K

-37.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,193 GYD 248.9K

61.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$661 GYD 137.8K

116.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$3,402 GYD 710.0K

22.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$467 GYD 97.5K

551.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$711 GYD 148.4K

-29.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.11

-21.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Paradise: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Paradise

$783 48.2% 59.5% $292

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Paradise

$286 17.6% 7.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Paradise

$172 10.6% 38.1% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Paradise

$91 5.6% 25.2% $31

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Paradise

$178 11% 46.5% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Paradise

$62 3.8% 24.2% $20

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Paradise

$51 3.2% 27.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $296 in Paradise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paradise pays 42% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $65 in Paradise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $286 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇬🇾 Paradise

🕒 Local time

19:27 7:27 PM

08:27 8:27 AM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

2,050

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Guyanese Dollar GYD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 GYD = 4.79 USD

1,000 GYD = 4.29 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GYD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Guyanese Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 209 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.79 USD). 1 EUR = 233 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.29 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Paradise 16,930 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Paradise

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 Paradise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $296 in Paradise. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $65 in Paradise. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,624 in Paradise – Phuket is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,624 in Paradise, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Paradise. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Paradise on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.