Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Poipet Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Poipet

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $480 in Poipet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $758 in Poipet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,035 in Poipet.

Living in Phuket is roughly 160% more expensive than in Poipet, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Poipet 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.52 ៛10.2K

80.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$19.80 ៛79.8K

133.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.97 ៛24.1K

48.07%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.60 ៛6,432

91.25%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.70 ៛2,812

4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.50 ៛2,027

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.99 ៛3,974

145.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.86 ៛7,508

103.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.74 ៛7,001

29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.42 ៛5,735

27.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.30 ៛5,238

73.08%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.55 ៛6,259

45.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$14.89 ៛60.0K

31.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.51 ៛14.2K

3.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.36 ៛41.8K

25.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.55 ៛14.3K

-9.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.09 ៛4,377

48.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.27 ៛13.2K

-27.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.26 ៛5,071

61.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.30 ៛5,254

17.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.89 ៛3,583

68.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.29 ៛5,211

-24.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.70 ៛2,818

-25.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.83 ៛7,374

142.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.46 ៛30.1K

145.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.79 ៛3,168

135.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.05 ៛8,252

30.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.97 ៛3,920

7.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.90 ៛19.7K

187.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.12 ៛4,527

16.96%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

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

$122 ฿4,118

$74.5 ៛300.5K

64.26%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.88 ៛23.7K

131.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$19.38 ៛78.1K

-3.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.59 ៛26.6K

37.63%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$403 ៛1.6M

75.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,065 ៛20.4M

212.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$34.39 ៛138.6K

70.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$18.09 ៛72.9K

95.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$54.9 ៛221.3K

110.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$36.65 ៛147.7K

128.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.2

-42.07%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Poipet: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Poipet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $222 per month, with Poipet 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 Poipet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Poipet is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $720 in Poipet 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 $706 in Phuket versus $403 in Poipet. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Poipet – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $480 in Poipet versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Poipet but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Poipet the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Poipet 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 Poipet 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 Poipet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.