Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Plunge Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Plunge

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,404 in Plunge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,194 in Plunge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,985 in Plunge.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Plunge, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Plunge is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$14.03 €12.22

-68.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$78.8 €68.6

-59.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$9.18 €8.00

-2.72%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.81 €3.32

-23.88%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$2.22 €1.94

-60.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$2.28 €1.98

-78.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$5.81 €5.06

-59.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$5.63 €4.91

-33.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.50 €1.31

24.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.71 €1.49

-14.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.55 €2.22

-39.22%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$3.31 €2.89

-36.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$10.72 €9.34

82.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$8.29 €7.23

-58.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$12.43 €10.83

-8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.02 €1.76

47.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.53 €1.33

9.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.75 €1.53

26.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$3.23 €2.81

-33.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.96 €0.83

58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.82 €0.71

63.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.59 €1.39

-28.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.92 €0.80

-40.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.44 €5.61

-33.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$9.80 €8.54

94.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.88 €1.64

-5.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.05 €1.78

35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$1.03 €0.90

116.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$29.83 €25.99

-23.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.13 €2.73

-3.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.24 €1.08

-17.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$14.40 €12.55

-72.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.89 €1.65

-21.16%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$28.7K €25.0K

-7.39%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$32.0K €27.8K

-15.44%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$228 €199

-55.04%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$14.83 €12.92

-23.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$20.66 €18.00

-15.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$43.86 €38.21

18.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$26.54 €23.13

-58.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$10.43 €9.08

-26.27%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$675 €588

-16.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$11.5K €10.0K

0.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$94.8 €82.6

-33.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$41.96 €36.55

-29.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$94.0 €81.9

4.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$135 €117

-34.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$561 €489

31.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$364 €317

32.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$737 €642

185.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$745 €649

64.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,891 €2,518

25.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,798 €1,566

44.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,305 €1,137

-62.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Plunge: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $561 in Plunge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plunge pays 164% 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 $79.0 in Plunge. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $264, with Plunge cheaper for home cooking.

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 Plunge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 164% lower in Plunge. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $561 in Plunge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $675 in Plunge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Plunge pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,404 in Plunge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Plunge. 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 Plunge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Plunge 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 14% less than in Plunge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.