Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Playa del Coco Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Playa del Coco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,749 in Playa del Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $2,799 in Playa del Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $3,850 in Playa del Coco.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 28% less than in Playa del Coco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Playa del Coco is 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$18.63 ₡8,315

-76.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$56.8 ₡25.3K

-38.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$11.91 ₡5,314

-24.77%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$4.21 ₡1,879

-28.74%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$2.52 ₡1,126

-69.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$1.70 ₡759

-72.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$3.45 ₡1,538

-30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$5.94 ₡2,649

-36.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$2.34 ₡1,044

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$2.81 ₡1,253

-49.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$2.49 ₡1,112

-37.75%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.41 ₡1,524

-37.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$10.86 ₡4,849

81.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$10.37 ₡4,627

-66.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$15.37 ₡6,858

-27.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$5.27 ₡2,354

-44.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.39 ₡620

19.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$3.64 ₡1,626

-37.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$3.36 ₡1,499

-37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$3.19 ₡1,422

-53.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$3.25 ₡1,449

-56.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.13 ₡504

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$2.75 ₡1,226

-80.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$5.73 ₡2,556

-21.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$16.88 ₡7,533

10.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$2.57 ₡1,147

-28.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.62 ₡1,170

12.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.36 ₡606

66.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$3.31 ₡1,477

-8.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$1.60 ₡716

-31.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$7.58 ₡3,381

-49.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.97 ₡879

-24.37%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$19.4K ₡8.7M

41.22%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$38.9K ₡17.4M

-29.35%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$102 ₡45.7K

-0.51%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$30.30 ₡13.5K

-62.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$61.2 ₡27.3K

-71.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$79.9 ₡35.7K

-32.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$8.95 ₡3,993

-12.29%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$783 ₡349.3K

-26.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$17.6K ₡7.9M

-33.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$66.2 ₡29.5K

-1.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$59.1 ₡26.4K

-51.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$118 ₡52.5K

-15.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$153 ₡68.1K

-40.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$891 ₡397.4K

-15.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$647 ₡288.8K

-24.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$2,084 ₡930.2K

0.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$1,469 ₡655.7K

-17.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$329 ₡146.9K

692.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$787 ₡351.1K

-36.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.89

-37.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $891 in Playa del Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Coco pays 57% 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: $35.00 in Phuket vs $57.0 in Playa del Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $377 per month, with Phuket 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 Playa del Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Playa del Coco. 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: $756 in Phuket versus $891 in Playa del Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $783 in Playa del Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $57.0 in Playa del Coco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,749 in Playa del Coco, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Playa del Coco. 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 Playa del Coco, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Playa del Coco 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 39% less than in Playa del Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.