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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,099 in Vac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,780 in Vac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,462 in Vac.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than in Vac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Vac 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.09 Ft 2,876

-50.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$46.56 Ft 14.7K

-2.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.71 Ft 2,755

0.57%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.15 Ft 679

38.14%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.39 Ft 438

-50.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$1.03 Ft 326

-62.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.85 Ft 585

36.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.28 Ft 720

64.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.06 Ft 334

102.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.57 Ft 498

15.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.91 Ft 606

14.14%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.68 Ft 848

-16.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$9.21 Ft 2,914

117.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.86 Ft 1,855

-38.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$11.80 Ft 3,733

14.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.81 Ft 571

79.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.89 Ft 598

-13.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$2.03 Ft 641

14.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$3.11 Ft 983

-33.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.10 Ft 347

40.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.26 Ft 397

15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.50 Ft 473

-34.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.56 Ft 177

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$6.92 Ft 2,191

-37.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$5.04 Ft 1,594

268.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.08 Ft 342

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.45 Ft 460

82.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.17 Ft 370

21.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$25.18 Ft 7,967

-54.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.83 Ft 896

12.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.11 Ft 351

-7.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$16.98 Ft 5,372

-18.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.68 Ft 530

-20.24%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$26.1K Ft 8.3M

6.31%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$30.5K Ft 9.6M

9.54%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$140 Ft 44.4K

-12.38%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$26.41 Ft 8,356

-47.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$19.91 Ft 6,300

-7.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$47.20 Ft 14.9K

28.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$16.78 Ft 5,307

2.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$7.32 Ft 2,317

21.17%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$294 Ft 93.1K

133.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$6,817 Ft 2.2M

131.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$70.1 Ft 22.2K

-15.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$26.90 Ft 8,511

28.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$74.3 Ft 23.5K

54.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$85.0 Ft 26.9K

-1.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$427 Ft 135.2K

45.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$343 Ft 108.5K

30.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$780 Ft 246.7K

160.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$725 Ft 229.5K

106.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$3,140 Ft 993.4K

10.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$2,368 Ft 749.3K

6.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,462 Ft 462.7K

-66.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.4

-27.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Vac: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $427 in Vac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 196% 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 $47.00 in Vac. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $218, 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

Vac is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 196% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $427 in Vac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $294 in Vac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,099 in Vac versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vac but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vac 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 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 Vac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.