Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quesada Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quesada

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,716 in Quesada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,696 in Quesada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,676 in Quesada.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 28% less than in Quesada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Quesada is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$12.27 ₡5,454

-64.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$57.9 ₡25.7K

-44.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$11.47 ₡5,098

-22.14%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$4.48 ₡1,992

-35.27%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.68 ₡1,193

-67.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.96 ₡871

-75.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.36 ₡1,493

-30.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.41 ₡1,070

54.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.41 ₡1,073

-22.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.75 ₡1,221

-46.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.44 ₡1,084

-36.48%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.60 ₡1,154

-19.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.89 ₡4,840

79.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.69 ₡4,752

-68.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$13.97 ₡6,210

-18.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.33 ₡2,370

-44.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.66 ₡736

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.08 ₡481

104.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.96 ₡1,761

-45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$3.98 ₡1,770

-61.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$3.63 ₡1,614

-63.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.09 ₡486

3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$3.22 ₡1,433

-82.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.87 ₡2,609

-27.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$15.63 ₡6,947

22.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.91 ₡1,293

-38.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.70 ₡1,644

-24.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.45 ₡644

53.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.56 ₡695

94.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.64 ₡727

-37.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.98 ₡3,992

-56.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.55 ₡688

-3.87%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.0K ₡9.8M

21.10%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$35.0K ₡15.6M

-22.80%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$97.7 ₡43.4K

4.84%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$30.03 ₡13.3K

-62.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$55.1 ₡24.5K

-68.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$72.9 ₡32.4K

-28.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$16.90 ₡7,513

-34.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.43 ₡2,412

41.62%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$252 ₡112.1K

122.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,224 ₡1.9M

172.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$73.2 ₡32.5K

-13.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$57.0 ₡25.3K

-48.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$130 ₡57.9K

-24.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$111 ₡49.2K

-19.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$788 ₡350.3K

-6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$639 ₡283.9K

-24.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,894 ₡841.9K

11.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,278 ₡568.2K

-4.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$4,237 ₡1.9M

-14.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,181 ₡969.4K

19.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.78

-36.56%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Quesada: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $788 in Quesada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in Quesada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $376 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 Quesada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,574 in Quesada 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $788 in Quesada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $252 in Quesada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $58.0 in Quesada. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,716 in Quesada, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Quesada. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Quesada, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Quesada 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Quesada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.