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 $836 in Praia Grande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,307 in Praia Grande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,778 in Praia Grande.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than in Praia Grande, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Praia Grande 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.30 R$27.28

-16.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$33.61 R$173

-4.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.79 R$40.13

14.63%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.98 R$10.18

46.46%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.27 R$6.56

-30.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.57 R$2.95

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.83 R$9.44

28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.60 R$18.57

3.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.05 R$5.42

78.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.53 R$7.91

-3.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.90 R$4.62

72.22%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.71 R$8.79

22.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.38 R$58.6

72.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.80 R$14.40

22.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$5.86 R$30.20

94.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.59 R$8.17

87.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.18 R$6.09

42.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.23 R$6.33

79.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.25 R$6.42

72.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.25 R$6.41

21.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.22 R$6.31

9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.56 R$2.86

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.83 R$4.25

-33.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.15 R$11.09

98.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.18 R$36.98

165.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.02 R$5.24

74.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.51 R$12.92

10.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.95 R$4.91

134.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$46.86 R$241

-51.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.01 R$5.20

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.70 R$3.61

45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.38 R$43.18

-53.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.21 R$6.24

23.14%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$23.4K R$120.6K

13.51%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$30.5K R$157.2K

-11.42%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$65.3 R$336

56.92%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$11.60 R$59.8

-2.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$19.34 R$99.7

-10.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$32.98 R$170

57.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$13.71 R$70.7

-19.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.89 R$40.66

-2.53%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$115 R$590

389.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$8,046 R$41.5K

43.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$65.5 R$337

-3.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$36.45 R$188

-19.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$59.2 R$305

65.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$76.7 R$395

15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$410 R$2,111

80.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$237 R$1,221

103.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$661 R$3,406

218.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$442 R$2,277

177.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,481 R$7,629

144.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$4,830 R$24.9K

-46.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$422 R$2,172

17.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.81

-48.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Praia Grande: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $410 in Praia Grande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Praia Grande. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $171, with Praia Grande 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 Praia Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Praia Grande is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $410 in Praia Grande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $115 in Praia Grande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $836 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 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.