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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $839 in Udon Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,367 in Udon Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,895 in Udon Thani.

Living in Phuket is roughly 49% more expensive than in Udon Thani, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Udon Thani 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿151

$2.46 ฿81.6

85.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,082

$28.42 ฿943

14.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿295

$12.12 ฿402

-26.57%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿93.0

$1.54 ฿51.1

81.82%

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

$0.88 ฿29.19

$0.72 ฿23.90

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.23

$0.28 ฿9.28

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿79.2

$1.78 ฿59.0

34.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿123

$2.44 ฿81.0

52.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿59.3

$2.68 ฿88.8

-33.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.81

$1.23 ฿40.95

17.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.6

$1.45 ฿48.12

8.97%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.5

$1.60 ฿52.9

33.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿661

$18.41 ฿611

8.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿114

$2.58 ฿85.7

32.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿376

$14.11 ฿468

-19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.8

$2.48 ฿82.3

18.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.1

$1.00 ฿33.02

72.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿77.1

$2.07 ฿68.8

12.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿69.0

$2.13 ฿70.6

-2.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$1.50 ฿49.63

-2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.05

$1.02 ฿33.98

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.45

$1.18 ฿38.98

-6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿19.06

$0.55 ฿18.39

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿142

$4.37 ฿145

-2.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿611

$38.04 ฿1,262

-51.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.78 ฿59.1

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.9

$2.02 ฿67.2

44.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.6

$0.58 ฿19.10

282.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

$10.76 ฿357

112.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.08 ฿35.71

180.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.63

$1.47 ฿48.83

-27.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿130

$10.11 ฿335

-61.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.49

$1.21 ฿40.21

23.14%

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

$27.1K ฿899.8K

$41.6K ฿1.4M

-34.80%

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

$27.5K ฿910.6K

$32.8K ฿1.1M

-16.22%

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

$103 ฿3,410

$61.0 ฿2,025

68.41%

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

$10.99 ฿365

$14.47 ฿480

-24.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿581

$22.43 ฿744

-21.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,776

$95.0 ฿3,150

-43.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

$8.44 ฿280

32.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿248

$4.44 ฿147

68.47%

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

$557 ฿18.5K

$202 ฿6,708

175.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿393.2K

$10.1K ฿334.1K

17.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,125

$44.49 ฿1,476

44.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿964

$52.8 ฿1,753

-44.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,183

$72.1 ฿2,391

33.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,997

$77.8 ฿2,582

16.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.2K

$181 ฿6,013

302.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.6K

$112 ฿3,704

347.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿69.3K

$388 ฿12.9K

438.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿40.1K

$312 ฿10.4K

287.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.3K

$1,198 ฿39.7K

200.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿83.3K

$415 ฿13.8K

505.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.7K

$776 ฿25.7K

-35.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.96

-30.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Udon Thani: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $181 in Udon Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Udon Thani pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Udon Thani. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $306, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 54% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $181 in Udon Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $202 in Udon Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $839 in Udon Thani versus $1,253 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 49% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.