Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thung Song Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thung Song

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $906 in Thung Song.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,500 in Thung Song.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,093 in Thung Song.

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than in Thung Song, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Thung Song 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.63 ฿155

-4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$18.31 ฿611

76.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.01 ฿301

-0.89%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.31 ฿77.0

25.54%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.74 ฿24.69

18.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.31 ฿10.49

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.40 ฿80.1

-2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.82 ฿127

-2.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.89 ฿63.0

-1.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.47 ฿49.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.60 ฿53.3

-3.13%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.14 ฿71.3

-1.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$19.51 ฿651

0.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.37 ฿113

1.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$11.46 ฿383

-0.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.06 ฿102

-2.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.66 ฿55.4

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.65 ฿21.71

240.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.11 ฿70.4

2.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.54 ฿51.5

-1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.40 ฿46.66

-4.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.13 ฿37.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.59 ฿19.65

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.45 ฿148

-4.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$18.97 ฿633

0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.80 ฿60.1

-1.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.26 ฿75.3

23.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.87 ฿28.89

156.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.26 ฿75.5

34.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.03 ฿34.49

-0.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$3.82 ฿128

1.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.14 ฿38.06

30.70%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$27.6K ฿920.9K

-3.66%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$27.1K ฿904.3K

-0.22%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$30.93 ฿1,032

231.30%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$6.05 ฿202

87.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$14.05 ฿469

23.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$47.90 ฿1,599

8.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$14.17 ฿473

-21.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.96 ฿266

-3.39%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$575 ฿19.2K

-2.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$11.5K ฿384.3K

-0.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$27.68 ฿924

127.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$18.47 ฿617

59.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$97.6 ฿3,257

0.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$90.0 ฿3,002

-1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$457 ฿15.2K

61.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$307 ฿10.3K

56.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,429 ฿47.7K

47.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$741 ฿24.7K

65.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,996 ฿66.6K

81.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,636 ฿54.6K

59.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Thung Song: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $457 in Thung Song. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Thung Song for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $267 per month, with Thung Song 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 Thung Song: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thung Song is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,359 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: $738 in Phuket versus $457 in Thung Song. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $575 in Thung Song. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Thung Song – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $906 in Thung Song versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Thung Song 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 Thung Song 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 Thung Song gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.