Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Polomolok Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Polomolok

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $667 in Polomolok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,034 in Polomolok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,401 in Polomolok.

Living in Phuket is roughly 87% more expensive than in Polomolok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Polomolok 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$1.76 ₱108

158.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$13.27 ₱817

248.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$2.33 ₱144

279.40%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.15 ₱132

42.33%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.45 ₱27.79

62.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.52 ₱32.10

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.18 ₱72.7

105.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.57 ₱96.6

140.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.68 ₱104

34.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.93 ₱57.3

94.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.73 ₱45.16

208.22%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.98 ₱122

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.13 ₱377

218.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.03 ₱187

20.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.26 ₱385

108.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.81 ₱173

14.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.60 ₱36.95

170.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.39 ₱147

-0.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.88 ₱54.0

130.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.34 ₱82.7

14.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.11 ₱191

-51.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.92 ₱56.8

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.56 ₱34.32

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.58 ₱159

72.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.47 ₱460

145.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.10 ₱67.6

69.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.49 ₱91.6

79.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.28 ₱17.26

403.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$13.98 ₱861

-16.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.93 ₱57.3

234.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.23 ₱14.11

352.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.15 ₱132

556.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$0.96 ₱59.2

36.46%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$17.8K ₱1.1M

56.06%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

72.64%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$58.6 ₱3,609

108.87%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$12.59 ₱775

7.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.91 ₱1,780

-35.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$33.91 ₱2,087

78.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$4.45 ₱274

281.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.30 ₱265

110.93%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$118 ₱7,272

497.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$1,485 ₱91.4K

964.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$45.59 ₱2,807

28.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$26.46 ₱1,629

33.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$72.1 ₱4,437

60.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$68.2 ₱4,198

22.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$270 ₱16.6K

132.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$178 ₱11.0K

149.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$592 ₱36.4K

244.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$402 ₱24.7K

271.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,379 ₱146.5K

46.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$985 ₱60.7K

161.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$246 ₱15.2K

102.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-11.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Polomolok: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $270 in Polomolok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 103% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Polomolok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $165 per month, with Polomolok 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 Polomolok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polomolok is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 103% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $270 in Polomolok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $118 in Polomolok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $667 in Polomolok versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Polomolok but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Polomolok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Polomolok 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 Polomolok 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 Polomolok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.