Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Prachin Buri

For one person, living is cheaper in Prachin Buri: $894 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Prachin Buri, Thailand
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Prachin Buri
🇹🇭 Thailand
$894
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Prachin Buri

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Prachin Buri actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $894 in Prachin Buri.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Prachin Buri $894

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,397 in Prachin Buri.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Prachin Buri $1,397

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,901 in Prachin Buri.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Prachin Buri $1,901

Living in Phuket is roughly 45% more expensive than in Prachin Buri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Prachin Buri 34% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Prachin Buri
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$2.99 ฿101
46.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,090
$26.35 ฿889
22.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿294
$8.74 ฿295
-0.46%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.9
$1.95 ฿65.7
39.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.38
$0.71 ฿23.81
30.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.85
$0.25 ฿8.40
100.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.4
$2.41 ฿81.4
4.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$2.63 ฿88.7
38.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Prachin Buri
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.7
$1.39 ฿46.96
25.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$1.18 ฿39.68
22.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$0.94 ฿31.64
59.57%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$1.57 ฿53.1
38.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿644
$10.58 ฿357
80.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿115
$2.50 ฿84.3
36.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿368
$10.15 ฿342
7.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿99.2
$3.51 ฿118
-16.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$0.73 ฿24.48
131.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿74.0
$1.86 ฿62.6
17.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.6
$1.05 ฿35.49
101.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.19
$1.13 ฿38.05
29.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.14
$1.07 ฿36.17
28.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.29
$1.25 ฿42.31
-13.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.40
$0.34 ฿11.56
61.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$4.26 ฿144
3.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿616
$11.79 ฿398
54.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.8
$1.66 ฿56.1
6.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿97.2
$2.88 ฿97.1
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Prachin Buri
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.82
$0.74 ฿24.98
95.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,851
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.07 ฿36.08
41.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.17
$1.08 ฿36.31
-27.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$3.58 ฿121
7.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.2
$1.03 ฿34.69
44.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿906.7K
$45.5K ฿1.5M
-40.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.6K
$26.7K ฿901.0K
-1.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Prachin Buri
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,299
$91.5 ฿3,085
6.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿381
$11.57 ฿390
-2.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿580
$9.51 ฿321
80.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Prachin Buri
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,305
$46.58 ฿1,571
46.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿368
$15.17 ฿512
-28.02%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿251
$7.75 ฿261
-4.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Prachin Buri
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.9K
$624 ฿21.0K
-14.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿633.5K
$20.7K ฿697.4K
-9.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Prachin Buri
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,080
$50.8 ฿1,715
21.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿953
$29.29 ฿988
-3.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,238
$94.9 ฿3,202
1.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,928
$74.9 ฿2,525
15.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Prachin Buri
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.3K
$428 ฿14.5K
68.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.2K
$305 ฿10.3K
66.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.8K
$1,235 ฿41.7K
57.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.1K
$608 ฿20.5K
129.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿141.4K
$1,930 ฿65.1K
117.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿111.3K
$1,764 ฿59.5K
86.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Prachin Buri
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.6K
$440 ฿14.8K
11.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.96
-6.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Prachin Buri: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Prachin Buri
$305 40% $203
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Prachin Buri
$197 26.1% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Prachin Buri
$113 10.9% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Prachin Buri
$112 8.4% $10
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Prachin Buri
$95 20.8% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Prachin Buri
$62 25.4% $21
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Prachin Buri
$9.4 * 85.8% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $428 in Prachin Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 12% 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 in Phuket vs $26 in Prachin Buri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $197 per month, with Prachin Buri cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇹🇭 Prachin Buri
🕒 Local time
17:03 5:03 PM
17:03 5:03 PM
Same time as Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
19,910
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Prachin Buri 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Prachin Buri

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Prachin Buri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Prachin Buri cheaper than Phuket?
Prachin Buri is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Prachin Buri?
Average pay runs 12% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Prachin Buri?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $428 in Prachin Buri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $624 in Prachin Buri. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Prachin Buri?
Dining out is cheaper in Prachin Buri – a meal for two runs $26 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Phuket or in Prachin Buri?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Prachin Buri is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Prachin Buri?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Prachin Buri?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Prachin Buri are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Prachin Buri wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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