Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Placetas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Placetas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,588 in Placetas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,891 in Placetas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,194 in Placetas.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 23% less than in Placetas, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Placetas is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$15.09 CUP 362

-70.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$13.42 CUP 322

247.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$6.80 CUP 163

24.85%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.15 CUP 75.7

-2.22%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$3.10 CUP 74.5

-78.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.78 CUP 42.73

-79.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$4.98 CUP 119

-51.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$3.02 CUP 72.6

20.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$2.01 CUP 48.35

8.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.95 CUP 46.90

-7.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.02 CUP 24.56

118.63%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.19 CUP 28.46

88.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$7.57 CUP 182

158.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$3.08 CUP 74.0

20.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$12.23 CUP 293

10.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.82 CUP 43.72

84.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.07 CUP 25.67

51.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.66 CUP 39.93

45.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.07 CUP 25.78

85.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.98 CUP 23.63

56.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.02 CUP 24.48

42.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.02 CUP 24.45

-0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.97 CUP 23.34

-50.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.08 CUP 73.8

38.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$9.82 CUP 236

94.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.99 CUP 47.71

-7.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$3.03 CUP 72.6

-9.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.18 CUP 4.30

688.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$20.33 CUP 488

-42.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$4.99 CUP 120

-39.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.42 CUP 10.02

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$14.94 CUP 358

-6.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.23 CUP 29.42

4.88%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$76.8K CUP 1.8M

-63.52%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$68.7K CUP 1.6M

-51.25%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$35.16 CUP 844

246.93%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$15.02 CUP 361

-7.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$219 CUP 5,255

-91.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$39.94 CUP 958

53.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$9.96 CUP 239

69.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$0.98 CUP 23.61

807.14%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$122 CUP 2,930

466.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$10.9K CUP 260.6K

48.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$44.16 CUP 1,060

30.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$30.13 CUP 723

17.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$49.33 CUP 1,184

129.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$64.6 CUP 1,549

28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$196 CUP 4,712

208.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$707 CUP 17.0K

-36.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$961 CUP 23.1K

111.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$605 CUP 14.5K

146.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$331 CUP 7,951

981.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$364 CUP 8,742

609.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$54.6 CUP 1,310

824.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-64.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Placetas: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $196 in Placetas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 825% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Placetas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $207 per month, with Placetas 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 Placetas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 825% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $196 in Placetas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $122 in Placetas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Placetas pay roughly 41% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,588 in Placetas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Placetas. 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 Placetas, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Placetas 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 30% less than in Placetas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.