Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quba Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $549 in Quba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $885 in Quba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,221 in Quba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 131% more expensive than in Quba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Quba 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$8.02 ₼13.62

-41.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$29.54 ₼50.2

9.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.78 ₼9.82

50.17%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.17 ₼1.99

147.86%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.46 ₼0.78

82.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.28 ₼0.47

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.16 ₼1.97

113.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.37 ₼4.03

57.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.36 ₼2.30

38.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.33 ₼0.56

327.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.20 ₼2.04

35.00%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.12 ₼1.90

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$1.71 ₼2.90

1060.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.98 ₼5.07

16.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$8.88 ₼15.09

28.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$0.62 ₼1.06

367.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.32 ₼2.24

30.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.42 ₼2.42

59.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.04 ₼1.77

104.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.64 ₼1.08

129.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.49 ₼0.83

189.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.44 ₼0.74

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.59 ₼1.01

1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.50 ₼5.95

23.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.26 ₼8.93

253.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.88 ₼1.49

104.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.95 ₼3.31

52.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.25 ₼0.42

800.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.15 ₼1.96

169.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.30 ₼0.51

260.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.88 ₼4.89

34.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.62 ₼1.06

130.65%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$26.7K ₼45.4K

4.01%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$26.1K ₼44.4K

3.21%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$34.10 ₼58.0

207.33%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$12.89 ₼21.90

-11.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$14.44 ₼24.54

21.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$37.90 ₼64.4

43.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.20 ₼7.14

85.24%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$281 ₼477

105.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$16.2K ₼27.5K

-28.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$17.80 ₼30.25

257.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$29.11 ₼49.47

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$130 ₼221

-25.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$35.00 ₼59.5

157.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$177 ₼301

314.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$119 ₼202

320.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$269 ₼458

689.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$180 ₼305

597.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$206 ₼351

145.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-72.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Quba: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $177 in Quba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 146% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Quba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $125 per month, with Quba 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 Quba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 146% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $177 in Quba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $281 in Quba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quba – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $549 in Quba versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Quba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quba 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 Quba 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 Quba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.