Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Udon Thani Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Udon Thani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $815 in Udon Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,324 in Udon Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,833 in Udon Thani.

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than Udon Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Udon Thani 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.44 ฿79.7

92.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$25.79 ฿843

75.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$8.53 ฿279

-1.17%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.79 ฿58.5

63.69%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.85 ฿27.88

-18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.30 ฿9.80

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.84 ฿60.1

30.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.40 ฿78.5

55.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$2.16 ฿70.6

3.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.34 ฿43.74

36.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.34 ฿43.66

61.94%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.61 ฿52.5

37.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$18.12 ฿592

8.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.34 ฿76.5

55.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$11.34 ฿371

19.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.29 ฿74.8

43.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.96 ฿31.28

67.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.12 ฿69.5

13.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.82 ฿59.4

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.61 ฿52.7

-4.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.97 ฿31.79

52.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.84 ฿27.60

17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.58 ฿19.04

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.11 ฿134

7.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$38.58 ฿1,261

-49.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.87 ฿61.0

-4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.15 ฿70.4

26.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.81 ฿26.37

69.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$13.34 ฿436

-14.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.07 ฿34.95

182.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.44 ฿47.16

-31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.18 ฿333

38.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.28 ฿41.96

6.25%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$42.7K ฿1.4M

-34.02%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.2K ฿1.2M

-6.62%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$72.0 ฿2,353

69.10%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$16.75 ฿548

-18.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$23.00 ฿752

-20.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$48.06 ฿1,571

25.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$7.50 ฿245

128.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.30 ฿206

37.94%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$286 ฿9,363

142.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$10.7K ฿349.6K

46.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$36.58 ฿1,196

62.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$55.2 ฿1,805

-37.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$96.6 ฿3,159

18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$82.5 ฿2,696

0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$208 ฿6,796

194.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$127 ฿4,149

244.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$489 ฿16.0K

328.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$345 ฿11.3K

337.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,022 ฿66.1K

85.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,474 ฿48.2K

77.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$631 ฿20.6K

-19.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.96

-33.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Udon Thani: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $208 in Udon Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Udon Thani pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Udon Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $290 per month, with Udon Thani 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 Udon Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Udon Thani is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Udon Thani earns 24% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $208 in Udon Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $286 in Udon Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $815 in Udon Thani versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Udon Thani but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Udon Thani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Udon Thani 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 Udon Thani 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 Udon Thani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.