Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pila

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,279 in Pila, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pila outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Pila
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Pila Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Pila

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,279

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pila

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,279 in Pila.

Phuket $1,208
Pila $1,279

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,777 in Pila.

Phuket $2,027
Pila $1,777

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,274 in Pila.

Phuket $2,845
Pila $2,274

Living in Phuket costs roughly 6% less than in Pila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Pila 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$8.84 zł 34.34

-50.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$17.76 zł 69.0

81.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.38 zł 32.54

4.53%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.32 zł 9.00

21.98%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.75 zł 2.90

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.40 zł 5.42

-66.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$3.06 zł 11.90

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.02 zł 11.72

26.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.92 zł 3.56

88.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.66 zł 2.58

122.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.06 zł 4.12

42.45%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.38 zł 9.26

-8.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$6.39 zł 24.84

208.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$5.83 zł 22.67

-42.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$4.97 zł 19.32

124.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$0.91 zł 3.54

213.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.64 zł 6.37

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.60 zł 6.20

36.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.82 zł 7.09

12.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.90 zł 3.48

61.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.04 zł 4.05

32.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.05 zł 4.06

1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.50 zł 1.94

2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.73 zł 18.37

-9.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$6.40 zł 24.85

190.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.01 zł 3.92

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.29 zł 5.03

120.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.05 zł 4.07

115.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$30.82 zł 120

-28.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.93 zł 7.50

55.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.92 zł 3.58

15.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$12.60 zł 48.95

-69.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.59 zł 6.18

-8.81%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$30.2K zł 117.3K

-12.83%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$26.6K zł 103.3K

1.32%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$240 zł 932

-59.82%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$12.34 zł 47.93

-10.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$10.84 zł 42.13

58.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$38.01 zł 148

37.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$22.10 zł 85.9

-49.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$5.06 zł 19.67

54.35%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$332 zł 1,289

67.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$7,542 zł 29.3K

53.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$68.4 zł 266

-6.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$31.34 zł 122

-8.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$58.8 zł 229

62.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$62.5 zł 243

40.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$602 zł 2,340

22.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$515 zł 2,003

-10.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$993 zł 3,860

110.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$813 zł 3,160

47.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,866 zł 11.1K

21.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,216 zł 8,611

13.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,099 zł 4,271

-54.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.82

-18.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pila: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Pila

$515 40.3% 11.5% $53

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Pila

$158 12.4% 41.1% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Pila

$263 20.6% 111% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Pila

$100 7.8% 20% $25

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Pila

$154 12% 26.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Pila

$48 3.8% 29% $20

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Pila

$42 3.3% 5.3% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $602 in Pila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pila pays 120% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Pila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $158 per month, with Pila cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇱 Pila

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

00:05 12:05 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

72,184

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Pila 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pila

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 Pila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 120% lower in Pila. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $602 in Pila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $332 in Pila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Pila pay roughly 70% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,279 in Pila, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pila. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pila 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Pila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.