Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vac Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vac

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,329 in Vac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,280 in Vac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,232 in Vac.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 7% less than in Vac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Vac 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$19.40 Ft 6,171

-77.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$115 Ft 36.6K

-71.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.70 Ft 3,086

-7.94%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.39 Ft 760

21.34%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.58 Ft 503

-44.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.32 Ft 419

-63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.24 Ft 711

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.38 Ft 758

56.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.30 Ft 414

43.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.47 Ft 469

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.32 Ft 740

-33.19%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.28 Ft 1,044

-35.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.52 Ft 2,709

129.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.10 Ft 1,940

-43.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$16.85 Ft 5,359

-32.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.91 Ft 607

56.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.16 Ft 688

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.11 Ft 672

4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.40 Ft 762

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.67 Ft 530

-8.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.17 Ft 373

14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.36 Ft 433

-16.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.51 Ft 164

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$7.79 Ft 2,479

-45.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.08 Ft 1,617

275.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.86 Ft 273

106.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.28 Ft 727

21.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.39 Ft 444

60.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$30.20 Ft 9,608

-24.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.00 Ft 954

1.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.61 Ft 512

-36.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$16.80 Ft 5,345

-76.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.84 Ft 586

-19.02%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$28.9K Ft 9.2M

-7.91%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$40.5K Ft 12.9M

-33.29%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$157 Ft 49.9K

-34.72%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$25.87 Ft 8,230

-56.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$22.02 Ft 7,006

-20.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$49.73 Ft 15.8K

4.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$17.35 Ft 5,518

-36.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.45 Ft 2,688

-8.99%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$309 Ft 98.2K

81.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$6,805 Ft 2.2M

69.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$90.6 Ft 28.8K

-30.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$32.35 Ft 10.3K

-8.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$83.9 Ft 26.7K

16.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$109 Ft 34.7K

-18.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$528 Ft 168.1K

39.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$408 Ft 129.7K

18.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$866 Ft 275.5K

143.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$784 Ft 249.3K

56.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$3,145 Ft 1.0M

15.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,657 Ft 845.4K

-2.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,438 Ft 457.4K

-65.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Vac: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $528 in Vac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 191% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $115 in Vac. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $238, with Vac 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 Vac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 191% lower in Vac. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $528 in Vac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $309 in Vac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Vac pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,329 in Vac, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vac. 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 Vac, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Vac 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 Vac. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.