Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Phetchabun

For one person, living is cheaper in Phetchabun: $957 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Phetchabun
🇹🇭 Thailand
$957
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Phetchabun

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

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $957 in Phetchabun, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Phetchabun $957

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $1,508 in Phetchabun, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Phetchabun $1,508

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $2,058 in Phetchabun, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Phetchabun $2,058

Phuket costs about 26% more than Phetchabun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phuket and Phetchabun are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Phetchabun 29% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Phetchabun
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$1.74 ฿58.3
152.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$23.98 ฿801
34.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$6.54 ฿219
33.94%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$1.18 ฿39.31
139.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$0.71 ฿23.88
26.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$0.21 ฿7.01
123.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$2.14 ฿71.5
19.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$2.91 ฿97.3
31.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Phetchabun
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.80 ฿60.1
-3.89%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$1.46 ฿48.81
0.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$1.50 ฿50.1
0.67%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$2.05 ฿68.6
5.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$16.61 ฿555
18.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$2.86 ฿95.6
16.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$11.40 ฿381
-2.11%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$3.16 ฿106
-9.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$0.99 ฿33.12
71.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$2.24 ฿75.0
-2.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$2.20 ฿73.4
-6.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$1.36 ฿45.31
6.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$0.99 ฿33.25
39.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$1.19 ฿39.70
-10.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.49 ฿16.34
4.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$4.39 ฿147
-2.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$17.94 ฿599
3.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$1.67 ฿55.7
6.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$2.85 ฿95.3
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Phetchabun
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$0.94 ฿31.45
140.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$1.21 ฿40.45
148.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$1.14 ฿38.06
-7.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$5.97 ฿199
-35.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$1.40 ฿46.87
3.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$24.8K ฿830.1K
5.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$25.0K ฿837.1K
7.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Phetchabun
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$83.7 ฿2,796
15.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$11.44 ฿382
-3.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$18.78 ฿628
-8.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Phetchabun
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$52.5 ฿1,755
-0.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
$13.59 ฿454
-17.88%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$7.31 ฿244
6.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Phetchabun
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$536 ฿17.9K
3.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$11.7K ฿390.2K
-0.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Phetchabun
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$43.84 ฿1,465
46.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$27.09 ฿905
5.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$75.5 ฿2,522
26.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$74.1 ฿2,476
18.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Phetchabun
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$426 ฿14.2K
73.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$345 ฿11.5K
33.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$1,258 ฿42.0K
66.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$724 ฿24.2K
65.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$2,024 ฿67.7K
72.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$1,349 ฿45.1K
87.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Phetchabun
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
-
-
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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phetchabun: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Phetchabun
$345 25.4% $117
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Phetchabun
$253 5.7% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Phetchabun
$114 8.6% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Phetchabun
$99 20.2% $25
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Phetchabun
$68 44% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Phetchabun
$67 1% $0.7
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Phetchabun
$11 * 72.9% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $426 in Phetchabun. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $24.00 in Phetchabun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $253 – making Phetchabun the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇹🇭 Phetchabun
🕒 Local time
03:04 3:04 AM
03:04 3:04 AM
Same time as Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
23,823
💱 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Phetchabun 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Phetchabun

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 Phetchabun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Phetchabun compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,208 in Phuket, $957 in Phetchabun – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Phetchabun?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,436 in Phetchabun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Phetchabun?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phetchabun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $24.00 in Phetchabun. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Phetchabun, where all-in costs run around $957, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Phetchabun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Phetchabun?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $957 in Phetchabun to $1,208 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Phuket or Phetchabun safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Phuket and Phetchabun?
If budget matters most, go with Phetchabun. 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.

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