Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pec Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pec

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $634 in Pec, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,019 in Pec, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,404 in Pec, rent included.

Phuket costs about 99% more than Pec, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Pec are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Pec 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.86 €5.08

-23.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$22.73 €19.69

100.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.53 €3.92

93.38%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.36 €1.18

118.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.32 €1.14

-47.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.98 €0.85

-60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.07 €1.79

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.52 €2.19

48.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.32 €1.15

62.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.58 €0.51

213.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.38 €1.19

57.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.52 €1.32

48.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.97 €5.17

235.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.04 €4.37

-27.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.24 €8.87

32.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.19 €1.03

172.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.37 €1.19

19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.09 €0.94

113.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.18 €1.02

75.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.79 €0.69

96.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.77 €0.67

89.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.69 €0.60

42.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.52 €0.45

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.55 €3.07

22.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.78 €5.01

221.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.86 €0.74

116.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.43 €1.24

85.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.24 €1.94

41.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.51 €0.44

101.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.77 €5.00

140.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.44 €1.25

-6.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$22.7K €19.7K

22.41%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$24.7K €21.4K

35.13%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$86.1 €74.6

42.88%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$10.82 €9.37

27.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$19.54 €16.92

-6.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$22.96 €19.89

164.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$34.50 €29.88

-50.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.58 €3.97

93.67%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$156 €135

342.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,844 €2,462

454.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$39.05 €33.81

51.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$28.57 €24.74

21.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$55.4 €47.94

108.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$85.6 €74.2

-2.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$172 €149

260.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$114 €99.0

290.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$345 €299

489.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$287 €249

421.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,288 €1,116

168.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$960 €831

163.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$478 €414

3.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

33.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pec: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $172 in Pec. 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 3% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $23.00 in Pec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $161 – making Pec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Pec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 99% more than Pec, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $951 in Pec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $23.00 in Pec. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 81% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pec, where all-in costs run around $634, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Pec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pec costs $634 versus $1,264 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Pec. 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.