Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puri Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puri

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $359 in Puri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $560 in Puri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $762 in Puri.

Living in Phuket is roughly 243% more expensive than Puri, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Puri 73% lower.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Phuket
Puri
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63 āļŋ151
$1.37 â‚đ130
237.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
$5.78 â‚đ549
710.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.84 āļŋ289
$2.67 â‚đ253
231.09%
Cappuccino
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
$1.58 â‚đ150
89.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
$0.30 â‚đ28.61
146.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
$0.09 â‚đ8.29
311.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
$1.42 â‚đ134
71.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 āļŋ118
$2.90 â‚đ275
24.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Puri
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
$0.67 â‚đ63.3
237.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
$0.33 â‚đ31.37
457.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
$0.53 â‚đ50.3
322.64%
Eggs
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
$0.88 â‚đ83.5
163.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.67 āļŋ643
$1.72 â‚đ163
1043.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.65 āļŋ119
$2.24 â‚đ212
62.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 āļŋ428
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.39 āļŋ111
$1.78 â‚đ169
90.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
$0.56 â‚đ53.2
192.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
$1.40 â‚đ133
72.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
$0.58 â‚đ55.4
250.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
$0.27 â‚đ25.72
477.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
$0.54 â‚đ51.3
177.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
$0.44 â‚đ41.39
131.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
$0.35 â‚đ33.55
40.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45 āļŋ145
$4.13 â‚đ392
7.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.88 āļŋ617
$7.30 â‚đ693
158.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
$1.14 â‚đ109
56.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
$2.28 â‚đ217
20.61%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$5.94 â‚đ564
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Puri
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
$0.30 â‚đ28.86
366.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.48 āļŋ376
$8.65 â‚đ821
32.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 āļŋ102
$1.18 â‚đ112
164.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.09 āļŋ461
$1.19 â‚đ113
1084.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
$1.09 â‚đ104
23.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
$5,721 â‚đ543.1K
375.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
$17.4K â‚đ1.7M
89.11%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Puri
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 āļŋ4,087
$36.95 â‚đ3,508
238.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57 āļŋ444
$3.35 â‚đ318
305.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52 āļŋ606
$8.87 â‚đ842
108.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Puri
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
$16.01 â‚đ1,520
284.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84 āļŋ551
$6.99 â‚đ663
140.92%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19 āļŋ300
$3.50 â‚đ332
162.57%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Puri
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$698 āļŋ22.8K
$84.3 â‚đ8,002
728.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
$2,025 â‚đ192.3K
669.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Puri
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
$27.55 â‚đ2,616
109.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
$28.70 â‚đ2,725
22.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 āļŋ3,699
$51.7 â‚đ4,910
118.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
$32.66 â‚đ3,100
164.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Puri
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$616 āļŋ20.1K
$122 â‚đ11.5K
406.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$446 āļŋ14.6K
$75.1 â‚đ7,128
494.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
$277 â‚đ26.3K
639.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
$181 â‚đ17.2K
723.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
$833 â‚đ79.0K
353.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
$565 â‚đ53.6K
368.84%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Puri
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$524 āļŋ17.1K
$185 â‚đ17.6K
182.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
8
-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Puri: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $122 in Puri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 183% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $6.00 in Puri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $86.0 per month, with Puri 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 Puri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Puri cheaper than Phuket?
Puri is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 243% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Puri?
Phuket pays 183% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Puri?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $122 in Puri. 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 $84.3 in Puri. 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 Puri?
Supermarket bills run roughly 242% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Puri?
At $359 in Puri versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puri but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Puri more family-friendly?
For families, Puri 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 Puri?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Puri 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 Puri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 243% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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