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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $782 in Udon Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,270 in Udon Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,758 in Udon Thani.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than in Udon Thani, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Udon Thani 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.40 ฿80.9

89.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$26.56 ฿894

73.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$8.25 ฿278

7.15%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.85 ฿62.3

65.41%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.87 ฿29.29

-16.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.30 ฿10.00

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.81 ฿60.9

34.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.40 ฿80.7

57.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.09 ฿70.3

8.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.38 ฿46.48

31.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.33 ฿44.68

69.17%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.54 ฿51.7

46.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$18.59 ฿626

4.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.42 ฿81.6

50.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.22 ฿378

16.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.35 ฿79.0

37.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.01 ฿33.87

60.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.10 ฿70.8

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.90 ฿63.8

6.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.63 ฿54.8

-6.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.01 ฿34.00

48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.80 ฿26.82

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.62 ฿21.03

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.22 ฿142

5.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$16.20 ฿545

13.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.89 ฿63.6

-1.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.16 ฿72.8

24.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.75 ฿25.33

88.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$13.14 ฿442

-10.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.06 ฿35.56

193.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.40 ฿47.23

-25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$10.23 ฿344

37.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.26 ฿42.48

3.97%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$43.5K ฿1.5M

-36.01%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$35.5K ฿1.2M

-6.30%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$72.8 ฿2,451

68.12%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$16.56 ฿557

-17.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$23.15 ฿779

-19.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$49.54 ฿1,667

22.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$7.91 ฿266

114.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.25 ฿210

45.12%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$279 ฿9,377

153.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$10.8K ฿363.7K

46.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$36.69 ฿1,235

59.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$55.2 ฿1,857

-35.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$99.5 ฿3,349

16.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$83.3 ฿2,803

0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$203 ฿6,824

208.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$127 ฿4,273

250.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$502 ฿16.9K

306.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$342 ฿11.5K

335.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,952 ฿65.7K

78.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,458 ฿49.1K

76.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$603 ฿20.3K

-17.13%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Udon Thani: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $203 in Udon Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Udon Thani pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Udon Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $247 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 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Udon Thani. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $203 in Udon Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $279 in Udon Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $782 in Udon Thani versus $1,250 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 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.