Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Praia Grande Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Praia Grande

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $748 in Praia Grande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,165 in Praia Grande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,583 in Praia Grande.

Living in Phuket is roughly 65% more expensive than Praia Grande, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Praia Grande 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.25 R$21.22

8.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$30.91 R$154

51.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.55 R$32.70

34.96%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.27 R$6.35

136.22%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.14 R$5.71

-35.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.53 R$2.67

-30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.58 R$7.88

54.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.85 R$14.20

26.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.00 R$5.01

126.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.38 R$6.88

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.83 R$4.16

169.88%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.60 R$7.99

45.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.93 R$49.55

98.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.59 R$12.93

40.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.48 R$27.33

139.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.45 R$7.22

133.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.10 R$5.48

49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.12 R$5.60

115.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.16 R$5.77

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.48 R$7.37

5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.40 R$6.99

7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.52 R$2.61

96.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.63 R$3.14

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.84 R$9.18

141.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.37 R$36.78

156.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.86 R$4.29

106.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.02 R$10.07

36.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.87 R$4.35

60.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$42.84 R$214

-73.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.91 R$4.53

242.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.58 R$2.92

72.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.56 R$37.71

86.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.08 R$5.39

25.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$21.2K R$105.6K

28.43%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.6K R$132.8K

23.70%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$51.6 R$258

142.07%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.60 R$52.9

28.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$18.12 R$90.4

2.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$30.31 R$151

102.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$12.84 R$64.1

31.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.39 R$36.86

24.36%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$108 R$541

544.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,679 R$38.3K

103.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$54.4 R$271

6.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$34.57 R$173

1.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$55.0 R$275

105.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$72.8 R$363

18.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$379 R$1,891

62.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$212 R$1,058

110.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$610 R$3,044

235.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$412 R$2,054

262.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,528 R$7,622

147.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$5,015 R$25.0K

-47.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$432 R$2,158

21.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.17

-52.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Praia Grande: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $379 in Praia Grande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 21% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Praia Grande for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $157 per month, with Praia Grande 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 Praia Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Praia Grande is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 21% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $379 in Praia Grande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $108 in Praia Grande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $748 in Praia Grande versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Praia Grande but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Praia Grande the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Praia Grande 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 Praia Grande 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 Praia Grande gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.