😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,070 in Princes Town.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,786 in Princes Town.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,501 in Princes Town.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than Princes Town, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket6% lower, Princes Town20% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.56฿149
$10.44TTD 70.6
-56.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.63฿1,519
$67.4TTD 455
-30.77%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.47฿276
$7.56TTD 51.1
12.04%
Cappuccino
$3.03฿98.6
$2.98TTD 20.12
1.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69฿22.45
$0.91TTD 6.18
-24.18%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.92
$0.76TTD 5.13
-51.32%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.49฿81.0
$1.60TTD 10.81
55.63%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66฿119
$2.39TTD 16.17
53.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.18฿71.0
$1.82TTD 12.29
19.78%
White Bread(500g)
$1.90฿62.0
$2.03TTD 13.74
-6.40%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.20฿71.6
$2.18TTD 14.73
0.92%
Eggs
$2.22฿72.4
$2.80TTD 18.90
-20.71%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.99฿651
$2.97TTD 20.11
573.06%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.66฿119
$10.50TTD 71.0
-65.14%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.25฿432
$14.13TTD 95.6
-6.23%
Apples(1kg)
$3.23฿105
$5.80TTD 39.22
-44.31%
Banana(1kg)
$1.70฿55.3
$1.45TTD 9.81
17.24%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.39฿78.0
$4.27TTD 28.85
-44.03%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.08฿67.7
$4.87TTD 32.89
-57.29%
Potato(1kg)
$1.59฿51.8
$1.50TTD 10.11
6.00%
Onion(1kg)
$1.48฿48.31
$1.70TTD 11.51
-12.94%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03฿33.54
$1.21TTD 8.21
-14.88%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52฿16.83
$1.29TTD 8.74
-59.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.25฿138
$5.79TTD 39.15
-26.60%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.79฿612
$18.19TTD 123
3.30%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76฿57.2
$2.13TTD 14.40
-17.37%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76฿89.8
$2.79TTD 18.87
-1.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.36฿44.32
$1.32TTD 8.89
3.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.36฿370
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.14฿102
$1.01TTD 6.80
210.89%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.04฿33.74
$1.26TTD 8.54
-17.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$13.77฿448
$1.72TTD 11.66
700.58%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.34฿43.79
$1.10TTD 7.41
21.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K฿901.4K
$34.1KTTD 230.6K
-18.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K฿1.1M
$37.7KTTD 255.1K
-10.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$124฿4,025
$81.0TTD 547
52.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.52฿440
$47.28TTD 320
-71.40%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69฿609
$61.0TTD 412
-69.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.8฿2,013
$44.82TTD 303
37.93%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.25฿562
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.14฿298
$6.54TTD 44.21
39.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$703฿22.9K
$175TTD 1,181
302.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.9K฿517.0K
$7,282TTD 49.2K
117.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5฿1,937
$59.6TTD 403
-0.17%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.07฿1,142
$38.25TTD 259
-8.31%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115฿3,754
$95.0TTD 642
21.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.1฿2,737
$87.2TTD 590
-3.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$619฿20.1K
$300TTD 2,030
106.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$433฿14.1K
$218TTD 1,476
98.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,062฿67.2K
$656TTD 4,437
214.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,511฿49.2K
$445TTD 3,007
239.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,646฿118.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,626฿85.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$507฿16.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
5.38
-0.93%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026
Last update for Princes Town: June 8, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $300 in Princes Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $67.0 in Princes Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $322 per month, with Phuket 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 Princes Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Princes Town cheaper than Phuket?
Princes Town is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,605 in Princes Town to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Princes Town?
Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $300 in Princes Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $175 in Princes Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or Princes Town?
Dining out is cheaper in Princes Town – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Princes Town?
At $1,070 in Princes Town versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Princes Town but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Princes Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Princes Town more family-friendly?
For families, Princes Town 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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Princes Town?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Princes Town are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Princes Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.