Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Upala Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Upala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,324 in Upala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,967 in Upala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,610 in Upala.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 8% less than in Upala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Upala 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$10.97 ₡4,951

-58.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$48.79 ₡22.0K

-4.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$9.75 ₡4,399

-12.92%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.43 ₡1,546

-10.20%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.63 ₡734

-58.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.61 ₡725

-77.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.92 ₡1,316

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$4.54 ₡2,050

-20.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$2.00 ₡903

9.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.53 ₡689

18.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$2.21 ₡998

0.90%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.44 ₡1,103

-8.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$2.91 ₡1,313

573.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$6.11 ₡2,756

-39.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$7.92 ₡3,574

70.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.54 ₡696

118.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.61 ₡276

165.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$2.58 ₡1,164

-6.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.34 ₡1,056

-14.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$3.33 ₡1,504

-54.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.41 ₡1,089

-39.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.95 ₡428

6.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$2.35 ₡1,060

-79.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$5.23 ₡2,358

-18.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$8.98 ₡4,053

112.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.40 ₡1,083

-23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.89 ₡1,302

-5.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.95 ₡427

49.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.86 ₡839

61.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.83 ₡827

-42.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$6.15 ₡2,773

126.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.24 ₡561

4.03%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$37.3K ₡16.8M

-24.91%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$33.0K ₡14.9M

1.62%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$50.2 ₡22.7K

142.79%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$25.60 ₡11.6K

-45.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$20.19 ₡9,110

-6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$57.5 ₡26.0K

6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$23.83 ₡10.8K

-29.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$9.93 ₡4,480

-10.47%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$573 ₡258.4K

20.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$12.8K ₡5.8M

25.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$30.42 ₡13.7K

89.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$19.59 ₡8,836

80.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$124 ₡56.1K

-8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$29.42 ₡13.3K

182.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$768 ₡346.6K

-21.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$587 ₡265.0K

-23.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,524 ₡687.3K

33.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$977 ₡440.5K

52.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Upala: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $768 in Upala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Upala. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $233, with Upala 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 Upala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $1,986 in Upala 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: $607 in Phuket versus $768 in Upala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $573 in Upala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $49.00 in Upala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,324 in Upala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Upala. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Upala, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Upala 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Upala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.