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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $746 in Praia Grande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,182 in Praia Grande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,619 in Praia Grande.

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than in Praia Grande, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Praia Grande 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.36 R$22.11

2.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$31.81 R$161

43.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.35 R$32.24

37.95%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.29 R$6.56

130.23%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.20 R$6.10

-42.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.51 R$2.57

-23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.67 R$8.46

51.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.82 R$14.33

32.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.00 R$5.06

115.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.36 R$6.92

33.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.83 R$4.20

162.65%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.64 R$8.32

37.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$9.84 R$49.91

103.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.65 R$13.45

36.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$5.58 R$28.33

143.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.53 R$7.76

111.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.10 R$5.59

49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.09 R$5.52

113.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.19 R$6.04

73.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.41 R$7.14

9.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.38 R$7.02

5.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.56 R$2.86

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.68 R$3.47

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.84 R$9.32

136.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.15 R$36.29

159.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.93 R$4.73

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.01 R$10.22

31.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.94 R$4.77

51.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$42.47 R$216

-72.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.99 R$5.04

220.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.57 R$2.91

80.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$7.56 R$38.38

83.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.07 R$5.45

25.23%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$21.3K R$108.1K

30.51%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$26.1K R$132.3K

28.06%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$52.1 R$264

136.32%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$10.84 R$55.0

27.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$18.00 R$91.3

1.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$29.62 R$150

104.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$12.65 R$64.2

35.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$7.18 R$36.45

23.54%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$108 R$547

538.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,681 R$39.0K

105.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$55.4 R$281

7.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$33.87 R$172

2.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$53.6 R$272

115.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$72.3 R$367

15.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$389 R$1,975

59.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$217 R$1,099

106.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$595 R$3,020

241.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$408 R$2,068

267.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,449 R$7,355

138.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$4,857 R$24.6K

-47.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$421 R$2,137

17.22%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Praia Grande: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $389 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Praia Grande for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $158 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 69% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $389 in Praia Grande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 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 84% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $746 in Praia Grande versus $1,264 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 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.