Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pilikwe Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pilikwe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $616 in Pilikwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $958 in Pilikwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,301 in Pilikwe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 105% more expensive than Pilikwe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Pilikwe 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$7.30 P 95.4

-35.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$30.37 P 397

49.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.95 P 77.7

41.68%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.21 P 28.86

32.58%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.82 P 10.67

-15.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.48 P 6.26

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.26 P 29.49

6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.93 P 38.24

26.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.40 P 18.25

59.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.81 P 10.61

125.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.83 P 23.95

18.58%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.29 P 29.97

-3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.59 P 99.2

160.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.13 P 67.0

-29.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$5.48 P 71.6

146.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.83 P 23.88

79.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.45 P 18.92

11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.87 P 24.50

28.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.56 P 20.33

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.41 P 18.39

8.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.21 P 15.87

22.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.18 P 15.46

-16.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.85 P 11.16

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.56 P 46.46

23.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.16 P 54.4

365.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.63 P 21.29

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.18 P 28.51

24.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.62 P 8.14

387.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$2.60 P 34.04

-61.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.94 P 38.39

379.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.15 P 14.96

18.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$22.5K P 294.5K

25.12%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.8K P 219.7K

95.70%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$70.2 P 917

73.36%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$26.02 P 340

-47.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$78.0 P 1,019

-76.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.66 P 87.0

30.48%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$187 P 2,438

271.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,818 P 49.9K

310.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$42.54 P 556

39.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$24.31 P 318

43.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$74.2 P 969

54.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$97.9 P 1,279

-14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.12

-41.56%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Pilikwe: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Pilikwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $179 per month, with Pilikwe 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 Pilikwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pilikwe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $924 in Pilikwe 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.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $187 in Pilikwe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pilikwe – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $616 in Pilikwe versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pilikwe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pilikwe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pilikwe 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 Pilikwe 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 Pilikwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.