Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surin

For one person, living is cheaper in Surin: $869 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Surin
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Surin Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Surin

🇹🇭 Thailand

$869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Surin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Surin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $869 in Surin.

Phuket $1,208
Surin $869

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,444 in Surin.

Phuket $2,027
Surin $1,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,018 in Surin.

Phuket $2,845
Surin $2,018

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than in Surin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Surin 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$3.03 ฿101

45.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$24.70 ฿826

30.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.23 ฿242

21.16%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.74 ฿58.3

62.64%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.61 ฿20.30

47.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.33 ฿10.89

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.20 ฿73.5

15.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.42 ฿114

11.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.57 ฿52.4

10.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.31 ฿43.79

12.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.47 ฿48.98

2.72%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.90 ฿63.5

14.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$17.41 ฿582

13.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.48 ฿83.0

34.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$8.89 ฿297

25.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.57 ฿86.0

10.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.02 ฿34.23

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.48 ฿82.9

-11.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.05 ฿68.5

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.44 ฿48.20

0.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.95 ฿31.77

45.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.94 ฿31.37

13.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.44 ฿14.59

15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.27 ฿143

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$16.36 ฿547

13.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.57 ฿52.4

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$3.01 ฿100

-5.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.92 ฿30.79

145.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.37 ฿45.65

119.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.01 ฿33.73

4.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$6.04 ฿202

-36.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.35 ฿45.06

7.41%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$22.7K ฿758.4K

16.02%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$27.1K ฿904.4K

-0.44%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$77.8 ฿2,601

23.85%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$11.53 ฿385

-4.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$18.68 ฿624

-8.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$41.58 ฿1,390

25.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$11.45 ฿383

-2.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$6.51 ฿218

19.97%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$628 ฿21.0K

-11.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$12.1K ฿405.0K

-4.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$53.1 ฿1,773

21.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$27.95 ฿934

2.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$73.3 ฿2,451

30.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$68.0 ฿2,274

29.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$440 ฿14.7K

67.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$273 ฿9,126

69.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,185 ฿39.6K

76.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$714 ฿23.9K

68.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,730 ฿57.8K

101.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,518 ฿50.7K

66.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Surin: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Surin

$273 31.4% 40.9% $189

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Surin

$235 27% 12.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Surin

$108 12.4% 13.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Surin

$100 11.5% 19.5% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Surin

$88 10.2% 27% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Surin

$55 6.3% 19.5% $13

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Surin

$10 * 1.2% 74.4% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $440 in Surin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Surin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $235 per month, with Surin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Surin

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

40,104

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Surin 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Surin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Surin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $1,303 in Surin 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: $737 in Phuket versus $440 in Surin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $628 in Surin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surin – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Surin versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Surin but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Surin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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