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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $480 in Poipet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $769 in Poipet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,057 in Poipet.

Living in Phuket is roughly 164% more expensive than Poipet, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.53 ៛10.1K

85.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$20.24 ៛81.2K

124.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.97 ៛23.9K

41.21%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.67 ៛6,689

75.45%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.69 ៛2,758

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.50 ៛2,022

-26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.98 ៛3,938

145.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.91 ៛7,644

94.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.76 ៛7,042

26.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.36 ៛5,451

34.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.27 ៛5,099

70.87%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.58 ៛6,323

39.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.73 ៛59.1K

34.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.54 ៛14.2K

2.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.23 ៛41.0K

32.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.69 ៛14.8K

-11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.08 ៛4,347

49.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.26 ៛13.1K

-26.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.28 ៛5,134

62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.25 ៛5,033

22.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.96 ៛3,847

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.29 ៛5,180

-23.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.70 ៛2,802

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.86 ៛7,449

137.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.34 ៛29.5K

164.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.73 ៛2,913

143.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.99 ៛7,982

36.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.01 ៛4,063

-1.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.08 ៛20.4K

177.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.12 ៛4,501

21.43%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$122 ฿3,978

$74.1 ៛297.1K

64.35%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.83 ៛23.4K

132.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$19.23 ៛77.1K

-4.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.43 ៛25.8K

35.15%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$393 ៛1.6M

76.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$4,929 ៛19.8M

218.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$33.83 ៛135.7K

75.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$18.03 ៛72.3K

92.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$54.4 ៛218.1K

110.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$36.65 ៛147.0K

127.26%

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 ฿68.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Poipet: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Poipet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $221 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 164% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $719 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 $693 in Phuket versus $393 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $480 in Poipet versus $1,265 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 164% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.