Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thiva Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thiva

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,220 in Thiva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,957 in Thiva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,695 in Thiva.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than Thiva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Thiva 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$13.50 €11.52

-65.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$57.4 €48.96

-19.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$7.08 €6.04

22.60%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.55 €2.18

15.69%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.68 €1.43

-58.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.50 €0.43

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$4.77 €4.07

-46.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.81 €2.40

34.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.54 €1.32

44.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.58 €1.34

13.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$2.11 €1.80

3.79%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$4.22 €3.60

-45.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$13.56 €11.57

42.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$9.80 €8.36

-61.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$13.08 €11.15

1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.77 €1.51

88.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.89 €1.61

-12.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.13 €0.96

102.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.87 €1.59

6.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.98 €0.84

56.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.23 €1.05

22.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.94 €0.81

9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.45 €0.38

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$4.99 €4.26

-11.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$6.63 €5.65

192.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.67 €1.43

7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.95 €1.66

37.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$1.41 €1.20

1.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$47.18 €40.25

-75.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$3.72 €3.17

-18.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$13.75 €11.73

-0.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$2.15 €1.83

-39.53%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$31.2K €26.6K

-10.50%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$29.8K €25.4K

11.00%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$187 €160

-34.38%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$23.82 €20.32

-41.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$31.43 €26.81

-39.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$49.74 €42.43

22.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$25.88 €22.08

-35.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$7.88 €6.72

12.56%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$348 €297

100.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$5,528 €4,715

190.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$51.8 €44.22

14.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$35.00 €29.85

-0.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$94.5 €80.6

19.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$94.7 €80.8

-10.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$353 €301

74.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$291 €248

54.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$766 €653

172.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$626 €534

139.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,839 €1,568

103.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,485 €1,267

79.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$1,006 €858

-46.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.34

22.81%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Thiva: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $353 in Thiva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thiva pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $57 in Thiva. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $259, with Thiva cheaper for home cooking.

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 Thiva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thiva is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Thiva earns 89% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $353 in Thiva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $348 in Thiva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,220 in Thiva versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Thiva but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Thiva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thiva 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 Thiva 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 Thiva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.