Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thung Song

For one person, living is cheaper in Thung Song: $897 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Thung Song
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Thung Song Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Thung Song

🇹🇭 Thailand

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Thung Song

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 Thung Song actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $897 in Thung Song.

Phuket $1,278
Thung Song $897

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,472 in Thung Song.

Phuket $2,216
Thung Song $1,472

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,047 in Thung Song.

Phuket $3,154
Thung Song $2,047

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than in Thung Song, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Thung Song 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.39 ฿148

1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$17.61 ฿594

84.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.57 ฿289

2.80%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.25 ฿75.9

25.78%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.72 ฿24.37

20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.31 ฿10.62

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.59 ฿87.5

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.76 ฿127

-2.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.71 ฿57.6

-2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.40 ฿47.39

4.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.54 ฿51.9

-2.60%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.12 ฿71.4

-1.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$19.55 ฿660

-2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.19 ฿378

-2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.96 ฿99.9

-1.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.68 ฿56.8

0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.63 ฿21.25

257.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.16 ฿72.8

-3.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.46 ฿49.10

3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.32 ฿44.58

4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.06 ฿35.70

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.51 ฿17.35

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.27 ฿144

-1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$18.51 ฿625

1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.76 ฿59.2

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.20 ฿74.4

29.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.85 ฿28.66

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.25 ฿76.0

34.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.03 ฿34.71

-0.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$3.87 ฿131

-4.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.12 ฿37.74

31.25%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$26.4K ฿889.2K

1.61%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$27.3K ฿921.9K

-2.31%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$29.42 ฿993

227.50%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$6.07 ฿205

85.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$13.76 ฿464

22.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$48.05 ฿1,621

39.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$13.10 ฿442

-18.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.45 ฿252

0.67%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$563 ฿19.0K

-15.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$11.3K ฿381.2K

-0.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$26.97 ฿910

131.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$18.09 ฿610

57.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$97.6 ฿3,294

-3.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$86.7 ฿2,924

-0.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$440 ฿14.8K

62.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$298 ฿10.0K

65.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,147 ฿38.7K

68.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$708 ฿23.9K

102.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,973 ฿66.6K

111.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,472 ฿49.7K

106.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Thung Song: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Thung Song

$298 33.2% 39.4% $193

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Thung Song

$260 29% 2.2% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Thung Song

$49 5.5% 60.4% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Thung Song

$103 11.5% 15.3% $19

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Thung Song

$112 12.6% 7.6% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Thung Song

$63 7% 23.4% $19

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Thung Song

$11 * 1.2% 84.7% $60

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 $716 in Phuket and $440 in Thung Song. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $18 in Thung Song for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $260 per month, with Thung Song cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Thung Song

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

29,232

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Thung Song 150 km

From you

Phuket
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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 Thung Song: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thung Song is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,345 in Thung Song 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: $716 in Phuket versus $440 in Thung Song. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Thung Song – a meal for two runs $18 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $563 in Thung Song. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $897 in Thung Song versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Thung Song but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Thung Song the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Thung Song are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.