Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samut Prakan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samut Prakan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $812 in Samut Prakan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,421 in Samut Prakan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,030 in Samut Prakan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Samut Prakan 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.05 ฿99.7

54.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$15.28 ฿499

196.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$7.72 ฿252

9.20%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.31 ฿42.91

123.66%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.62 ฿20.38

11.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.29 ฿9.63

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.84 ฿60.1

30.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.81 ฿124

-2.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.43 ฿46.89

55.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.01 ฿33.07

81.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.12 ฿36.52

93.75%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.80 ฿58.8

22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.43 ฿439

46.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.83 ฿92.5

28.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.76 ฿352

25.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.83 ฿60.0

79.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.75 ฿24.66

114.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.81 ฿59.2

33.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.37 ฿44.89

51.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.63 ฿53.3

-6.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.10 ฿35.99

34.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.78 ฿25.61

26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.43 ฿13.93

18.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.76 ฿155

-7.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$12.09 ฿395

60.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.51 ฿49.42

17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.21 ฿72.3

22.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.52 ฿16.90

163.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$31.10 ฿1,017

-63.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.11 ฿36.29

172.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.71 ฿23.18

39.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.26 ฿172

168.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.29 ฿42.19

5.43%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$12.3K ฿402.9K

128.84%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.1K ฿689.5K

55.99%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$73.2 ฿2,392

66.28%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.91 ฿357

24.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$17.11 ฿559

7.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$46.92 ฿1,534

28.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$12.05 ฿394

42.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.07 ฿198

43.16%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$383 ฿12.5K

81.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$6,856 ฿224.1K

128.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$19.33 ฿632

207.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$34.17 ฿1,117

1.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$61.4 ฿2,006

86.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$58.0 ฿1,895

43.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$486 ฿15.9K

26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$245 ฿8,013

78.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$803 ฿26.2K

160.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$832 ฿27.2K

81.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,755 ฿57.4K

113.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,487 ฿48.6K

75.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$651 ฿21.3K

-21.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

77.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $486 in Samut Prakan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samut Prakan pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Samut Prakan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $202 per month, with Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samut Prakan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Samut Prakan earns 28% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $486 in Samut Prakan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $383 in Samut Prakan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $812 in Samut Prakan versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samut Prakan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samut Prakan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.