Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pasaje

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasaje: $864 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Pasaje
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Pasaje Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Pasaje

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pasaje

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $864 in Pasaje, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Pasaje $864

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,428 in Pasaje, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Pasaje $1,428

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,993 in Pasaje, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Pasaje $1,993

Phuket costs about 48% more than Pasaje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Pasaje are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Pasaje 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.88 $3.88

15.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$52.3 $52.3

-38.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.14 $9.14

-3.61%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.91 $2.91

-2.75%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.86 $0.86

1.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.73 $0.73

-32.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.96 $2.96

-13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.33 $4.33

-15.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.16 $1.16

43.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.94 $1.94

-24.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.40 $1.40

7.14%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.08 $2.08

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$6.84 $6.84

178.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.13 $5.13

-35.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.94 $8.94

22.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$1.47 $1.47

99.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.16 $1.16

45.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.02 $1.02

120.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.96 $0.96

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.28 $1.28

17.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.91 $0.91

51.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.87 $0.87

22.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.02 $1.02

-49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.91 $5.91

-28.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$11.99 $11.99

56.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.57 $1.57

15.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.14 $2.14

32.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.39 $0.39

271.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.80 $2.80

7.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.73 $1.73

-41.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$11.91 $11.91

-69.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$0.83 $0.83

77.11%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$23.0K $23.0K

16.53%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$31.2K $31.2K

-14.44%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$33.84 $33.84

184.72%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$15.11 $15.11

-25.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$26.30 $26.30

-35.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$30.99 $30.99

116.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$15.24 $15.24

-29.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.52 $7.52

-0.27%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$368 $368

29.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$5,688 $5,688

98.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$66.1 $66.1

-5.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$39.84 $39.84

-28.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$124 $124

-23.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$91.0 $91.0

-5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$411 $411

73.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$263 $263

86.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$710 $710

171.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$505 $505

183.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.05

-44.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pasaje: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Pasaje

$263 30.5% 46.3% $227

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Pasaje

$198 23% 25.4% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Pasaje

$75 8.7% 39.6% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Pasaje

$144 16.7% 18.5% $23

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Pasaje

$123 14.3% 1.3% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Pasaje

$46 5.3% 44% $36

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Pasaje

$13 * 1.5% 81.6% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $411 in Pasaje. 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 in Phuket versus $52 in Pasaje. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $198 in Pasaje – so Pasaje wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Pasaje

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

20:20 8:20 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

44,860

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Pasaje 19,470 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pasaje

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 Pasaje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 48% more than Pasaje, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,296 in Pasaje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasaje, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $52 in Pasaje. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,278 in Phuket and $864 in Pasaje. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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