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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,497 in Quesada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,295 in Quesada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,092 in Quesada.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 16% less than in Quesada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Quesada is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$10.89 ₡4,921

-58.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$60.5 ₡27.3K

-22.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$10.07 ₡4,549

-15.89%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.79 ₡1,711

-20.05%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.96 ₡886

-64.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.61 ₡726

-77.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.91 ₡1,317

-14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.25 ₡1,014

62.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.04 ₡922

6.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.86 ₡1,292

-33.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.13 ₡964

3.29%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.32 ₡1,048

-4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.98 ₡4,510

100.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$9.35 ₡4,224

-60.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$13.81 ₡6,239

-4.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.52 ₡2,040

-28.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.46 ₡658

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.96 ₡435

148.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.40 ₡1,537

-38.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$3.49 ₡1,578

-54.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$3.24 ₡1,465

-54.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.95 ₡427

8.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$2.91 ₡1,313

-82.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.17 ₡2,335

-17.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$15.24 ₡6,887

23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.50 ₡1,128

-29.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.94 ₡1,327

-6.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.02 ₡459

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.37 ₡621

129.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.36 ₡613

-23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$7.77 ₡3,512

77.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.39 ₡627

-3.60%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$37.9K ₡17.1M

-26.88%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$32.8K ₡14.8M

3.32%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$95.2 ₡43.0K

29.78%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$25.45 ₡11.5K

-46.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$49.46 ₡22.3K

-62.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$40.26 ₡18.2K

53.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$23.58 ₡10.7K

-26.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.38 ₡2,430

69.89%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$229 ₡103.4K

206.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,815 ₡1.7M

316.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$61.4 ₡27.8K

-3.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$50.6 ₡22.9K

-30.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$119 ₡53.8K

-3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$97.5 ₡44.1K

-13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$772 ₡349.0K

-19.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$605 ₡273.2K

-28.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,549 ₡699.8K

33.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$972 ₡439.0K

55.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$4,138 ₡1.9M

-11.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,150 ₡971.5K

22.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Quesada: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $772 in Quesada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $61.0 in Quesada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $342 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $2,245 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: $619 in Phuket versus $772 in Quesada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $229 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 $47.00 versus $61.0 in Quesada. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,497 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 19% less than in Quesada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.