Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Porto Rafti Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Porto Rafti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,300 in Porto Rafti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,990 in Porto Rafti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,680 in Porto Rafti.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 4% less than in Porto Rafti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Porto Rafti 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$11.47 €10.04

-60.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$56.9 €49.81

-18.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$8.79 €7.69

0.57%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.89 €3.40

-21.34%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.61 €1.41

-54.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.61 €0.53

-34.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$4.56 €3.99

-46.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.62 €4.04

-18.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.74 €1.52

29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.19 €1.04

52.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.26 €1.98

-0.44%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$4.16 €3.64

-45.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$11.09 €9.71

75.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.70 €7.61

-58.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$14.06 €12.30

-7.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.14 €1.88

50.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.35 €2.06

-31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.66 €1.45

43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$2.58 €2.26

-21.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.27 €1.11

20.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.14 €1.00

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.91 €0.80

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.56 €0.49

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.29 €4.63

-16.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.38 €5.58

187.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.75 €1.53

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.38 €2.08

12.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.53 €1.34

-7.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$46.21 €40.43

-74.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.93 €3.44

-20.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$11.62 €10.16

21.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$2.10 €1.84

-37.62%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$31.7K €27.7K

-12.25%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$25.5K €22.3K

30.18%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$157 €137

-21.94%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$22.32 €19.53

-39.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.75 €25.15

-34.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$47.29 €41.38

27.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$26.09 €22.83

-34.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$9.27 €8.11

-2.16%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$514 €449

37.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$6,404 €5,603

146.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$65.3 €57.1

-10.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$28.47 €24.91

24.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$67.8 €59.3

70.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$106 €92.7

-21.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$492 €431

27.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$397 €347

12.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$768 €672

165.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$608 €532

145.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$4,825 €4,222

-27.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,326 €2,035

10.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$868 €760

-42.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.42

20.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Porto Rafti: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $492 in Porto Rafti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Porto Rafti pays 74% 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 $57.0 in Porto Rafti. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $261, with Porto Rafti 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 Porto Rafti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Porto Rafti. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $492 in Porto Rafti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $514 in Porto Rafti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Porto Rafti pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,300 in Porto Rafti, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Porto Rafti. 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 Porto Rafti, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Porto Rafti 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 4% less than in Porto Rafti. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.