Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Petropolis Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Petropolis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $736 in Petropolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,192 in Petropolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,649 in Petropolis.

Living in Phuket is roughly 73% more expensive than Petropolis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Petropolis 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$6.43 R$31.97

-27.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$25.64 R$127

81.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$6.51 R$32.35

33.33%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.79 R$8.88

64.80%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.07 R$5.31

-34.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.59 R$2.91

-33.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.06 R$5.28

138.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.31 R$11.50

63.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.14 R$5.65

94.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.44 R$7.14

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.30 R$6.48

68.46%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.88 R$9.33

22.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.43 R$41.89

129.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$3.64 R$18.10

3.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$7.75 R$38.50

70.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.38 R$6.87

141.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.09 R$5.43

51.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$0.80 R$3.99

186.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.29 R$6.42

54.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.28 R$6.37

19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.97 R$4.83

55.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.47 R$2.34

119.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.50 R$2.51

2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$1.99 R$9.91

121.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$5.87 R$29.19

230.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$0.94 R$4.65

91.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.40 R$6.98

91.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.90 R$4.49

58.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$44.25 R$220

-73.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.07 R$5.32

184.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.65 R$3.23

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$7.27 R$36.11

88.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.03 R$5.12

26.21%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$13.5K R$67.0K

106.84%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$17.9K R$89.0K

84.49%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$61.4 R$305

100.34%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$10.86 R$54.0

27.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$17.97 R$89.3

4.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$26.48 R$132

130.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$35.42 R$176

-52.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$5.84 R$29.04

51.88%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$187 R$928

273.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$4,865 R$24.2K

230.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$37.40 R$186

58.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$32.86 R$163

6.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$86.1 R$428

31.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$57.4 R$285

48.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$354 R$1,760

73.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$191 R$950

134.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$530 R$2,636

293.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$421 R$2,092

255.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$2,647 R$13.2K

41.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,822 R$9,057

46.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$621 R$3,089

-14.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.6

-54.05%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Petropolis: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $354 in Petropolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petropolis pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $26 in Petropolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $161 per month, with Petropolis cheaper across the board.

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 Petropolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petropolis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Petropolis earns 16% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $354 in Petropolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Petropolis – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $736 in Petropolis versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Petropolis but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Petropolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Petropolis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Petropolis 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 Petropolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.