Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Seki Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Seki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $661 in Seki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,119 in Seki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,577 in Seki.

Living in Phuket is roughly 91% more expensive than Seki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Seki 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$8.69 ₼14.78

-47.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$35.91 ₼61.0

29.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.57 ₼12.87

11.89%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.60 ₼6.11

-15.83%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.79 ₼1.34

-12.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.47 ₼0.79

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.75 ₼2.97

42.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.99 ₼5.08

22.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.33 ₼2.26

63.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.47 ₼0.81

304.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.38 ₼4.04

-7.56%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.41 ₼2.40

57.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.38 ₼9.14

271.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.78 ₼8.13

-23.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.46 ₼17.78

26.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.29 ₼2.19

150.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.73 ₼2.93

-1.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.54 ₼2.61

55.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.88 ₼3.20

10.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.79 ₼1.35

101.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.51 ₼0.87

190.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.39 ₼0.67

164.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.62 ₼1.05

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.59 ₼6.10

18.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.92 ₼15.16

110.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.35 ₼2.29

30.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.79 ₼4.74

-1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.11 ₼3.59

48.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.60 ₼1.02

73.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$3.47 ₼5.90

296.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.70 ₼1.19

91.43%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$20.5K ₼34.8K

35.20%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$22.1K ₼37.5K

53.47%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$23.65 ₼40.20

422.58%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.79 ₼14.94

53.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$11.00 ₼18.69

69.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$17.33 ₼29.45

256.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.74 ₼9.76

59.23%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$253 ₼430

177.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,546 ₼11.1K

142.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$57.9 ₼98.3

2.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$53.7 ₼91.3

-34.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$123 ₼210

-6.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$100 ₼170

-16.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$175 ₼297

254.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$108 ₼184

299.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$321 ₼546

542.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$194 ₼329

680.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$658 ₼1,119

453.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$348 ₼592

653.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$253 ₼431

100.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.87

-39.91%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Seki: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $175 in Seki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 100% 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 $36.00 in Seki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $180 per month, with Seki 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 Seki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seki is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 100% more on average, 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: $619 in Phuket versus $175 in Seki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $253 in Seki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Seki – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $661 in Seki versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seki but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Seki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Seki 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 Seki 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 Seki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.