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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,217 in Praia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,921 in Praia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,626 in Praia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in Praia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.11 CVE 493

-10.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$36.36 CVE 3,510

27.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.96 CVE 672

27.01%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.57 CVE 152

94.90%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$3.11 CVE 300

-76.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.29 CVE 125

-68.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.62 CVE 253

-7.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.03 CVE 196

86.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.42 CVE 137

59.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.17 CVE 209

-16.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.38 CVE 327

-33.43%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.28 CVE 221

-1.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$26.76 CVE 2,584

-27.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.99 CVE 385

-8.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$17.51 CVE 1,690

-25.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$5.19 CVE 502

-37.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$3.10 CVE 300

-47.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.76 CVE 363

-36.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$4.87 CVE 470

-58.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.44 CVE 139

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.61 CVE 156

-6.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.49 CVE 144

-34.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.55 CVE 150

-66.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.78 CVE 461

-7.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.22 CVE 793

122.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.79 CVE 173

3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.83 CVE 176

46.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.83 CVE 79.8

69.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$28.93 CVE 2,793

-59.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.54 CVE 149

101.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.31 CVE 127

-20.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$10.25 CVE 990

37.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.59 CVE 153

-17.61%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$29.7K CVE 2.9M

-6.33%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$38.8K CVE 3.7M

-14.47%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$183 CVE 17.7K

-33.22%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$28.01 CVE 2,704

-51.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$52.4 CVE 5,054

-64.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$31.64 CVE 3,055

91.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$8.61 CVE 831

97.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.86 CVE 565

54.78%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$145 CVE 14.0K

387.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,209 CVE 309.8K

392.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$85.0 CVE 8,202

-31.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$31.09 CVE 3,001

13.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$85.1 CVE 8,215

35.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$127 CVE 12.3K

-34.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$474 CVE 45.7K

32.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$259 CVE 25.0K

71.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,083 CVE 104.6K

88.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$559 CVE 54.0K

166.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,392 CVE 134.4K

150.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,036 CVE 100.1K

148.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$314 CVE 30.3K

59.13%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Praia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $474 in Praia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 59% 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 $36.00 in Praia. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 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 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 59% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $474 in Praia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $145 in Praia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,217 in Praia versus $1,250 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 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.