Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Toa Alta

For one person, living is cheaper in Toa Alta: $1,238 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $480 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Phuket, Thailand
Toa Alta, Puerto Rico
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Toa Alta
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,238
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Toa Alta

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 Toa Alta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,238 in Toa Alta.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Toa Alta $1,238

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,934 in Toa Alta.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Toa Alta $1,934

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,630 in Toa Alta.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Toa Alta $2,630

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in Toa Alta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Toa Alta 9% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Toa Alta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$12.80 $12.80
-65.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$80.5 $80.5
-59.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$9.45 $9.45
-6.77%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.43 $3.43
-17.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
$1.59 $1.59
-45.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
$1.40 $1.40
-65.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.94 $2.94
-12.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.02 $5.02
-26.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Toa Alta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$2.12 $2.12
-21.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$3.66 $3.66
-60.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$2.40 $2.40
-37.50%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$5.29 $5.29
-60.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$5.09 $5.09
274.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$9.50 $9.50
-65.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$6.38 $6.38
71.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$4.97 $4.97
-41.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$2.62 $2.62
-35.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$4.82 $4.82
-53.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$4.89 $4.89
-57.46%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$3.67 $3.67
-58.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$4.07 $4.07
-66.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
$3.38 $3.38
-68.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$1.59 $1.59
-67.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$12.21 $12.21
-65.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$15.12 $15.12
24.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$2.97 $2.97
-38.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$4.10 $4.10
-30.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Toa Alta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.45 $2.45
23.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
$1.48 $1.48
-31.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$41.42 $41.42
-91.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
$1.23 $1.23
19.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
$35.0K $35.0K
-23.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
$27.9K $27.9K
-4.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Toa Alta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$319 $319
-69.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$68.0 $68.0
-83.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$68.8 $68.8
-75.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Toa Alta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$28.03 $28.03
139.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$10.68 $10.68
-29.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Toa Alta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$825 $825
-42.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
$12.5K $12.5K
-10.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Toa Alta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
$57.2 $57.2
9.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$61.4 $61.4
-53.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
$110 $110
-14.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
$115 $115
-25.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Toa Alta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Toa Alta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.55
-14.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Toa Alta: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Toa Alta
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Toa Alta
$360 35.2% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Toa Alta
$456 266% $331
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Toa Alta
$155 26.9% $33
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Toa Alta
$209 71.3% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Toa Alta
$49 39.9% $33
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Toa Alta
$9.8 * 86.1% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $81 in Toa Alta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $360 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇷 Toa Alta
🕒 Local time
18:39 6:39 PM
07:39 7:39 AM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
74,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Toa Alta 16,640 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Toa Alta

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 Toa Alta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Toa Alta cheaper than Phuket?
Toa Alta is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,857 in Toa Alta 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $825 in Toa Alta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Toa Alta?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $81 in Toa Alta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 enough for either Phuket or Toa Alta?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Toa Alta gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Toa Alta?
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.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?