Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pathum Thani

For one person, living is cheaper in Pathum Thani: $785 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Pathum Thani
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Pathum Thani Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Pathum Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pathum Thani

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $785 in Pathum Thani, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Pathum Thani $785

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,329 in Pathum Thani, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Pathum Thani $1,329

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,873 in Pathum Thani, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Pathum Thani $1,873

Phuket costs about 54% more than Pathum Thani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phuket and Pathum Thani are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Pathum Thani 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$1.79 ฿59.9

155.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$22.25 ฿744

45.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.90 ฿197

44.92%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.73 ฿58.0

57.23%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.42 ฿14.03

123.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.18 ฿6.05

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.73 ฿57.7

49.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.13 ฿71.3

79.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.47 ฿49.07

18.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.32 ฿44.22

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.23 ฿41.03

24.39%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.80 ฿60.2

20.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$12.52 ฿418

52.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$2.43 ฿81.1

35.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$12.06 ฿403

-7.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.60 ฿120

-18.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.96 ฿31.93

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.49 ฿83.3

-7.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.58 ฿52.8

34.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.97 ฿66.0

-22.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.04 ฿34.74

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.77 ฿25.70

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.44 ฿14.85

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.53 ฿151

-5.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$13.87 ฿464

31.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.51 ฿50.3

15.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.66 ฿55.6

68.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.60 ฿20.07

270.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.06 ฿35.28

174.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.53 ฿51.1

-33.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$8.76 ฿293

-56.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.16 ฿38.69

28.45%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$17.5K ฿585.7K

52.25%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$23.9K ฿797.8K

11.89%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$82.3 ฿2,751

20.71%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$9.23 ฿309

22.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$10.22 ฿341

69.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$29.61 ฿990

76.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$6.63 ฿222

14.18%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$196 ฿6,543

185.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$10.7K ฿357.5K

7.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$5.91 ฿198

963.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$35.81 ฿1,197

-20.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$71.5 ฿2,388

34.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$52.8 ฿1,765

66.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$453 ฿15.1K

61.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$263 ฿8,805

74.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$1,476 ฿49.3K

41.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$738 ฿24.6K

65.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$4,477 ฿149.6K

-22.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$2,199 ฿73.5K

13.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$396 ฿13.2K

24.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Pathum Thani: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Pathum Thani

$263 33.6% 42.7% $197

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Pathum Thani

$223 28.4% 16.8% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Pathum Thani

$102 13% 20.5% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Pathum Thani

$75 9.5% 39.8% $49

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Pathum Thani

$68 8.7% 43.8% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Pathum Thani

$43 5.5% 36.4% $25

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Pathum Thani

$11 * 1.4% 71.5% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $453 in Pathum Thani. 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 25% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $22.00 in Pathum Thani. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $223 – making Pathum Thani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Pathum Thani

🕒 Local time

22:51 10:51 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

18,320

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Pathum Thani 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pathum Thani

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 Pathum Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,177 in Pathum Thani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $785 in Pathum Thani. That's a gap of about 54%.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $196 in Pathum Thani. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pathum Thani, where all-in costs run around $785, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Pathum Thani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Pathum Thani. 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.