Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paros Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,787 in Paros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,353 in Paros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,920 in Paros.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 30% less than in Paros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Paros is 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$13.91 €12.17

-67.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$57.6 €50.4

-19.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$11.45 €10.02

-22.79%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.85 €3.37

-20.52%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$2.05 €1.79

-64.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.55 €0.48

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$5.91 €5.17

-58.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.85 €5.12

-35.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.77 €1.55

27.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.50 €1.31

20.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.74 €2.40

-17.88%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$5.00 €4.37

-55.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$16.23 €14.20

20.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$11.58 €10.13

-68.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$14.43 €12.63

-9.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.25 €1.97

43.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.16 €1.89

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.49 €1.30

59.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.84 €1.61

10.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.32 €1.16

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.29 €1.13

16.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.95 €0.83

3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.67 €0.58

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.48 €4.79

-18.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.45 €6.52

145.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.06 €1.80

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.76 €1.54

52.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$2.28 €2.00

-38.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$68.8 €60.2

-82.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$4.55 €3.98

-31.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$11.68 €10.22

20.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$2.19 €1.92

-40.18%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$22.1K €19.4K

25.69%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.2K €22.9K

26.66%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$164 €143

-25.22%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$23.36 €20.44

-41.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$37.21 €32.56

-49.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$35.19 €30.79

71.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$26.37 €23.07

-35.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$9.08 €7.95

-0.11%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$427 €373

65.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,122 €3,606

283.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$97.5 €85.3

-39.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$31.78 €27.80

11.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$78.5 €68.7

47.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$114 €99.4

-26.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$756 €662

-17.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$700 €612

-36.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,438 €1,258

41.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$620 €543

140.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,874 €2,514

21.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,380 €2,082

8.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,122 €981

-55.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.44

20.05%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Paros: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $756 in Paros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paros pays 124% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in Paros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $300 per month, with Phuket 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 Paros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Paros. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 124% lower in Paros. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $756 in Paros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $427 in Paros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Paros. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,787 in Paros, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Paros. 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 Paros 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 43% less than in Paros. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.