Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Permet Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Permet

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,215 in Permet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,859 in Permet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,503 in Permet.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than Permet, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Permet 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$11.58 ALL 945

-60.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$58.7 ALL 4,790

-20.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.49 ALL 775

-6.85%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.97 ALL 161

52.28%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.87 ALL 153

-60.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.93 ALL 75.6

-60.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.97 ALL 243

-17.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.20 ALL 343

-14.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.13 ALL 174

6.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.12 ALL 91.7

64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.24 ALL 183

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.79 ALL 309

-38.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$13.26 ALL 1,082

48.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.55 ALL 616

-51.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$15.66 ALL 1,279

-16.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.78 ALL 145

90.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.65 ALL 216

-38.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.98 ALL 162

21.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.91 ALL 156

6.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.38 ALL 112

13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.32 ALL 108

13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.50 ALL 123

-32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.80 ALL 65.6

-38.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.22 ALL 344

5.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.55 ALL 861

78.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.59 ALL 130

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.16 ALL 176

27.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.45 ALL 37.08

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$18.97 ALL 1,549

-39.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.48 ALL 284

-10.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$3.10 ALL 253

-67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$17.96 ALL 1,466

-21.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.08 ALL 170

-35.10%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$40.2K ALL 3.3M

-32.42%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

-5.99%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$109 ALL 8,907

14.57%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.64 ALL 1,441

-23.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$18.78 ALL 1,533

-1.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$54.1 ALL 4,416

13.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$24.90 ALL 2,033

-32.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$9.66 ALL 789

-4.87%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$156 ALL 12.8K

346.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,516 ALL 450.4K

182.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$68.4 ALL 5,584

-15.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$50.1 ALL 4,093

-29.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$106 ALL 8,616

7.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$127 ALL 10.3K

-31.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$454 ALL 37.0K

35.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$337 ALL 27.5K

32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$610 ALL 49.8K

235.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$430 ALL 35.1K

246.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,727 ALL 141.0K

118.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,396 ALL 114.0K

89.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.52

-3.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Permet: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $454 in Permet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in Permet. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $279, with Permet 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 Permet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Permet differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,215 including rent). Permet 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 $1,823 in Permet 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: $616 in Phuket versus $454 in Permet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Permet – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $47.00 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 $1,215 in Permet – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Permet versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Permet but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Permet 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 Permet 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 Permet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.