🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,778 in Protaras.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,869 in Protaras.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,960 in Protaras.
🙂Living in Phuket costs roughly 31% less than in Protaras, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Protaras is 33% above.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Protaras
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63฿151
$17.45€14.94
-73.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84฿1,532
$70.1€60.0
-33.18%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿289
$8.77€7.51
0.80%
Cappuccino
$3.00฿98.0
$3.79€3.24
-20.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74฿24.25
$2.16€1.85
-65.74%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.95
$1.30€1.12
-71.54%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44฿79.8
$3.76€3.22
-35.11%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61฿118
$4.44€3.80
-18.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Protaras
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿73.9
$1.66€1.42
36.14%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84฿60.1
$1.70€1.46
8.24%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24฿73.4
$2.35€2.01
-4.68%
Eggs
$2.32฿75.7
$4.72€4.04
-50.85%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67฿643
$17.06€14.60
15.30%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿119
$9.59€8.21
-61.94%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10฿428
$14.74€12.62
-11.13%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39฿111
$2.69€2.30
26.02%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿53.7
$1.87€1.60
-12.30%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿79.0
$2.38€2.04
1.26%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿66.4
$3.84€3.29
-47.14%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56฿50.9
$1.31€1.12
19.08%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿48.94
$1.13€0.97
32.74%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.50
$0.92€0.79
10.87%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.00
$0.83€0.71
-40.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45฿145
$5.92€5.07
-24.83%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88฿617
$10.24€8.76
84.37%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
$1.84€1.58
-3.26%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75฿90.1
$2.32€1.98
18.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Protaras
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40฿45.81
$2.36€2.02
-40.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48฿376
$51.8€44.38
-77.85%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12฿102
$8.84€7.57
-64.71%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.67
$1.96€1.68
-48.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09฿461
$20.92€17.91
-32.65%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35฿44.19
$1.65€1.41
-18.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿888.9K
$25.6K€21.9K
6.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$36.2K€31.0K
-9.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Protaras
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,087
$186€159
-32.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿444
$23.83€20.40
-43.05%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52฿606
$39.58€33.88
-53.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Protaras
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5฿2,010
$70.9€60.7
-13.27%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84฿551
$29.42€25.18
-42.76%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19฿300
$11.48€9.82
-19.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Protaras
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.8K
$460€393
51.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6K฿509.9K
$7,946€6,802
96.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Protaras
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8฿1,889
$87.3€74.7
-33.84%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24฿1,152
$55.1€47.17
-36.04%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,699
$111€95.4
1.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4฿2,825
$106€90.8
-18.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Protaras
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616฿20.1K
$771€660
-20.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.6K
$652€558
-31.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048฿67.0K
$1,510€1,293
35.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿48.8K
$1,339€1,146
11.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779฿123.6K
$4,169€3,569
-9.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649฿86.6K
$2,145€1,836
23.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Protaras
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524฿17.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
4.34
22.81%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Phuket: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Protaras: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $771 in Protaras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $70.0 in Protaras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $313 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Phuket vs Protaras: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is Protaras cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,667 in Protaras 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 Protaras?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $771 in Protaras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $460 in Protaras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and Protaras?
Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Protaras. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Protaras?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,778 in Protaras, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Protaras. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Protaras more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Protaras, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Protaras?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Protaras 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Protaras. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.