Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paulinia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paulinia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $952 in Paulinia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,534 in Paulinia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,117 in Paulinia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Paulinia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Paulinia 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.36 R$43.00

-47.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$34.42 R$177

-6.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$8.51 R$43.76

4.94%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.50 R$12.86

16.00%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.34 R$6.90

-34.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.97 R$4.98

-50.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.29 R$11.77

2.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.64 R$18.69

2.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.07 R$5.50

74.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.79 R$9.22

-17.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.34 R$6.90

15.67%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.55 R$13.13

-17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$11.65 R$59.9

68.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.62 R$23.78

-25.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$10.25 R$52.7

11.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.09 R$10.75

42.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.42 R$7.31

18.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.48 R$7.60

49.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.60 R$8.23

35.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.24 R$6.39

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.22 R$6.28

9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.97 R$5.00

16.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.82 R$4.22

-32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.48 R$12.75

71.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$7.85 R$40.39

143.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.50 R$7.70

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.45 R$12.60

13.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.00 R$5.12

123.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$44.82 R$230

-49.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.14 R$5.84

165.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.70 R$3.58

45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.36 R$42.98

-53.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.24 R$6.39

20.16%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$23.4K R$120.2K

13.73%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$32.9K R$169.0K

-17.76%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$103 R$530

-0.58%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$15.51 R$79.8

-26.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$22.35 R$115

-22.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$38.41 R$198

35.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$26.46 R$136

-58.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$8.86 R$45.54

-13.21%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$395 R$2,030

41.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$9,871 R$50.8K

16.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$53.4 R$275

17.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$49.20 R$253

-40.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$95.4 R$490

2.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$69.2 R$356

27.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$336 R$1,729

119.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$229 R$1,178

110.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$661 R$3,399

218.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$458 R$2,356

167.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,620 R$8,328

123.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,130 R$5,812

130.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-53.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Paulinia: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $336 in Paulinia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Paulinia. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $214, with Paulinia cheaper for home cooking.

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 Paulinia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Paulinia differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $952 including rent). Paulinia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,428 in Paulinia 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $336 in Paulinia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Paulinia – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $952 in Paulinia – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $952 in Paulinia versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paulinia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Paulinia 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Paulinia 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 Paulinia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.