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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,218 in Praia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,894 in Praia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,571 in Praia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than Praia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Praia 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$5.07 CVE 482

-7.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$36.91 CVE 3,507

22.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.94 CVE 660

21.47%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.56 CVE 148

87.82%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$3.18 CVE 302

-78.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.35 CVE 128

-72.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.60 CVE 247

-7.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.14 CVE 203

73.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.43 CVE 136

55.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$2.13 CVE 202

-14.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$3.34 CVE 317

-35.03%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.29 CVE 218

-3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$26.27 CVE 2,496

-24.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.14 CVE 393

-12.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$17.16 CVE 1,631

-21.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.18 CVE 492

-36.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$3.16 CVE 300

-49.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.82 CVE 363

-36.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.77 CVE 453

-56.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.48 CVE 141

3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.58 CVE 150

-6.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.49 CVE 142

-33.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.55 CVE 147

-67.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.81 CVE 457

-8.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.83 CVE 839

119.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.81 CVE 172

-1.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.94 CVE 184

39.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.84 CVE 80.2

63.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$28.37 CVE 2,695

-59.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.61 CVE 153

87.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.25 CVE 119

-20.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.47 CVE 995

34.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.64 CVE 156

-17.07%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$30.4K CVE 2.9M

-7.14%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$39.3K CVE 3.7M

-16.33%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$190 CVE 18.1K

-36.09%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.44 CVE 2,608

-50.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$54.0 CVE 5,127

-66.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$31.86 CVE 3,028

89.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$8.66 CVE 823

97.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.77 CVE 548

50.61%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$146 CVE 13.9K

374.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,238 CVE 307.6K

384.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$86.7 CVE 8,242

-31.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$30.80 CVE 2,927

12.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$84.9 CVE 8,066

35.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$126 CVE 12.0K

-34.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$470 CVE 44.6K

30.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$263 CVE 25.0K

66.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,080 CVE 102.6K

93.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$542 CVE 51.5K

178.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,345 CVE 127.8K

178.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,017 CVE 96.6K

157.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$212 CVE 20.1K

139.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-40.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Praia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $470 in Praia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 140% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Praia. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $356, with Phuket 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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Praia is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 140% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $470 in Praia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $146 in Praia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,218 in Praia versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Praia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Praia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Praia 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 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 gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.