Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pattani

For one person, living is cheaper in Pattani: $976 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Pattani, Thailand
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Pattani
🇹🇭 Thailand
$976
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pattani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $976 in Pattani.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Pattani $976

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,564 in Pattani.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Pattani $1,564

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $2,152 in Pattani.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Pattani $2,152

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Pattani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Pattani 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Pattani
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$3.00 ฿101
46.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,090
$28.09 ฿948
15.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿294
$7.52 ฿254
15.69%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.9
$1.87 ฿63.2
45.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.39
$0.65 ฿21.86
43.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.85
$0.33 ฿11.11
51.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.4
$2.11 ฿71.3
19.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$3.03 ฿102
19.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Pattani
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.7
$1.68 ฿56.5
3.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.95
$1.39 ฿46.93
4.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$1.35 ฿45.63
11.11%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$2.15 ฿72.5
0.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿644
$17.37 ฿586
9.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿115
$2.68 ฿90.6
26.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿368
$10.65 ฿359
2.35%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿99.2
$3.11 ฿105
-5.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.08 ฿36.47
56.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿74.0
$2.16 ฿72.9
1.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.7
$1.74 ฿58.9
21.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.21
$1.32 ฿44.48
10.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.15
$1.22 ฿41.30
12.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.30
$1.15 ฿38.95
-6.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.41
$0.47 ฿15.87
17.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$4.35 ฿147
1.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿616
$18.80 ฿634
-2.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.8
$1.68 ฿56.5
5.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿97.2
$2.90 ฿97.7
-0.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Pattani
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.84
$0.73 ฿24.68
98.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,852
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.34 ฿45.28
12.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.18
$1.09 ฿36.67
-28.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿130
$5.00 ฿169
-23.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.2
$1.55 ฿52.2
-3.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿907.0K
$24.8K ฿837.2K
8.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.9K
$25.7K ฿868.7K
2.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Pattani
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,300
$78.7 ฿2,657
24.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿381
$12.94 ฿437
-12.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿580
$16.58 ฿559
3.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Pattani
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,305
$51.0 ฿1,721
33.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿368
$12.66 ฿427
-13.74%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿251
$6.86 ฿231
8.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Pattani
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.9K
$655 ฿22.1K
-19.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿633.7K
$14.5K ฿487.7K
29.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Pattani
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,081
$54.0 ฿1,822
14.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿953
$30.03 ฿1,013
-5.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,239
$77.1 ฿2,602
24.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,929
$65.1 ฿2,195
33.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Pattani
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.3K
$415 ฿14.0K
73.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.2K
$352 ฿11.9K
44.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.8K
$1,379 ฿46.5K
41.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.1K
$769 ฿25.9K
81.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿141.4K
$2,321 ฿78.3K
80.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿111.3K
$1,764 ฿59.5K
86.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Pattani
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.57
-

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pattani: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Pattani
$352 30.8% $157
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Pattani
$250 6.3% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Pattani
$108 14.3% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Pattani
$102 17.1% $21
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Pattani
$90 25.1% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Pattani
$65 22.2% $18
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Pattani
$9.7 * 85.3% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $415 in Pattani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $28 in Pattani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $250 per month, with Pattani cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇹🇭 Pattani
🕒 Local time
22:34 10:34 PM
22:34 10:34 PM
Same time as Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
43,631
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Pattani 340 km
From you
  • Phuket
  • Pattani

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 Pattani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Pattani?
Pattani wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pattani the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Pattani?
You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $1,464 in Pattani to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Pattani?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $415 in Pattani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Pattani?
Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Pattani?
All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $976 in Pattani – Pattani is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Phuket or in Pattani?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Pattani is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Pattani?
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.
How safe is Phuket compared to Pattani?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Pattani are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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