😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,089 in Princes Town.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,816 in Princes Town.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,542 in Princes Town.
🌍Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Princes Town, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket5% lower, Princes Town18% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.48฿150
$10.15TTD 68.1
-55.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.59฿1,521
$67.3TTD 452
-32.30%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.76฿292
$7.28TTD 48.88
20.33%
Cappuccino
$2.97฿99.0
$2.92TTD 19.62
1.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69฿22.90
$0.87TTD 5.86
-20.69%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39฿13.04
$0.76TTD 5.11
-48.68%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.53฿84.4
$1.67TTD 11.20
51.50%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.75฿125
$2.35TTD 15.80
59.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.15฿71.6
$1.73TTD 11.61
24.28%
White Bread(500g)
$1.82฿60.6
$2.05TTD 13.78
-11.22%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.18฿72.9
$2.20TTD 14.76
-0.91%
Eggs
$2.25฿75.0
$2.70TTD 18.16
-16.67%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$20.00฿667
$2.98TTD 20.03
571.14%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.63฿121
$10.58TTD 71.0
-65.69%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.56฿452
$14.37TTD 96.5
-5.64%
Apples(1kg)
$3.24฿108
$5.92TTD 39.78
-45.27%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿54.6
$1.47TTD 9.86
11.56%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33฿77.8
$4.28TTD 28.71
-45.56%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.07฿69.1
$4.86TTD 32.61
-57.41%
Potato(1kg)
$1.55฿51.6
$1.48TTD 9.94
4.73%
Onion(1kg)
$1.46฿48.54
$1.66TTD 11.15
-12.05%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.98฿32.86
$1.16TTD 7.78
-15.52%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48฿16.09
$1.31TTD 8.83
-63.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.35฿145
$6.00TTD 40.28
-27.50%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.57฿620
$17.82TTD 120
4.21%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.86฿61.9
$2.18TTD 14.62
-14.68%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65฿88.6
$2.81TTD 18.85
-5.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.42฿47.28
$1.35TTD 9.08
5.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.57฿386
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.17฿106
$1.04TTD 6.99
204.81%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.03฿34.41
$1.28TTD 8.61
-19.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$13.89฿463
$1.82TTD 12.20
663.19%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.34฿44.84
$1.14TTD 7.67
17.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K฿927.1K
$34.4KTTD 230.7K
-19.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K฿1.1M
$38.9KTTD 261.0K
-14.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$123฿4,105
$79.1TTD 531
55.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.77฿459
$47.08TTD 316
-70.75%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.33฿611
$61.5TTD 413
-70.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$60.7฿2,025
$43.50TTD 292
39.52%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.16฿573
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.87฿296
$6.71TTD 45.09
32.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$688฿22.9K
$181TTD 1,212
281.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.8K฿526.4K
$7,160TTD 48.1K
120.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.3฿1,978
$58.3TTD 391
1.75%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.69฿1,157
$39.07TTD 262
-11.21%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115฿3,843
$97.3TTD 653
18.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.8฿2,794
$88.5TTD 594
-5.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$621฿20.7K
$294TTD 1,973
111.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.9K
$221TTD 1,481
102.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,034฿67.8K
$675TTD 4,533
201.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,496฿49.9K
$443TTD 2,975
237.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,455฿115.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,531฿84.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Princes Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$494฿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: July 27, 2026
Last update for Princes Town: July 28, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $294 in Princes Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $67.0 in Princes Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,634 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: $621 in Phuket versus $294 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 $688 in Phuket versus $181 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 in Princes Town?
Dining out is cheaper in Princes Town – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Princes Town?
At $1,089 in Princes Town versus $1,264 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.