Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Simpson Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Simpson Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $3,927 in Simpson Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $6,485 in Simpson Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $9,042 in Simpson Bay.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 68% less than in Simpson Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Simpson Bay is 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$18.94 ANG 33.81

-75.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$130 ANG 232

-74.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$13.03 ANG 23.26

-31.70%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$4.44 ANG 7.92

-36.94%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$3.03 ANG 5.40

-70.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$2.92 ANG 5.22

-83.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$5.60 ANG 10.00

-57.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.93 ANG 7.01

-5.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$4.06 ANG 7.25

-55.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$2.82 ANG 5.03

-48.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$3.04 ANG 5.42

-48.03%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$4.44 ANG 7.93

-52.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$24.67 ANG 44.04

-19.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$13.58 ANG 24.25

-74.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$16.97 ANG 30.30

-33.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$4.28 ANG 7.64

-31.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$3.56 ANG 6.35

-51.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$6.62 ANG 11.81

-64.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$5.04 ANG 8.99

-58.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$4.03 ANG 7.20

-63.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$3.47 ANG 6.19

-60.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$3.05 ANG 5.45

-63.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.40 ANG 2.51

-59.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$15.27 ANG 27.26

20.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.71 ANG 3.05

70.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$3.05 ANG 5.45

-27.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$14.81 ANG 26.44

-79.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.32 ANG 2.36

12.88%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

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

$103 ฿3,380

$505 ANG 902

-79.65%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$34.81 ANG 62.1

-68.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$88.2 ANG 157

-80.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$73.7 ANG 131

-27.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$8.23 ANG 14.69

-9.11%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$753 ANG 1,345

-26.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$12.0K ANG 21.5K

-1.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$50.2 ANG 89.6

27.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$39.86 ANG 71.1

-27.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$100 ANG 179

-4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$59.4 ANG 106

52.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$2,297 ANG 4,101

-68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$2,280 ANG 4,070

-78.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$5,893 ANG 10.5K

-64.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$5,742 ANG 10.2K

-78.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Simpson Bay: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $2,297 in Simpson Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $130 in Simpson Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $468 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 Simpson Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 213% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $5,891 in Simpson Bay 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: $730 in Phuket versus $2,297 in Simpson Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $753 in Simpson Bay. 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 $33.00 versus $130 in Simpson Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $3,927 in Simpson Bay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Simpson Bay. 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 Simpson Bay, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Simpson Bay 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 213% less than in Simpson Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.