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 $1,136 in Vac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,780 in Vac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,424 in Vac.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than Vac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Vac 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$8.82 Ft 2,753

-47.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$45.76 Ft 14.3K

2.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.75 Ft 2,729

1.03%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.09 Ft 651

43.54%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.38 Ft 431

-46.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.08 Ft 338

-65.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.90 Ft 594

28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.18 Ft 680

65.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.10 Ft 342

105.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.49 Ft 465

23.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.82 Ft 567

23.08%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.69 Ft 838

-13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.53 Ft 2,974

106.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.84 Ft 1,823

-37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.59 Ft 3,618

13.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.81 Ft 564

87.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.93 Ft 602

-15.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.02 Ft 632

19.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.02 Ft 942

-32.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.14 Ft 354

36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.26 Ft 393

19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.56 Ft 487

-34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.52 Ft 163

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.68 Ft 2,086

-33.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.16 Ft 1,611

265.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.08 Ft 338

64.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.42 Ft 444

93.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.18 Ft 369

18.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$24.77 Ft 7,727

-53.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.89 Ft 903

7.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.11 Ft 346

-9.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$17.31 Ft 5,401

-18.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.77 Ft 551

-23.73%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.0K Ft 8.1M

4.62%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.4K Ft 9.8M

4.74%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$143 Ft 44.7K

-12.73%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$26.24 Ft 8,186

-48.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$19.77 Ft 6,169

-6.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$46.69 Ft 14.6K

31.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$16.98 Ft 5,298

-0.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.21 Ft 2,250

27.46%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$289 Ft 90.2K

141.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,852 Ft 2.1M

127.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$72.1 Ft 22.5K

-19.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$27.08 Ft 8,448

30.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$75.6 Ft 23.6K

49.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$85.0 Ft 26.5K

1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$426 Ft 133.1K

44.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$351 Ft 109.5K

27.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$792 Ft 247.0K

158.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$719 Ft 224.4K

107.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,076 Ft 959.9K

22.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,442 Ft 761.8K

8.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,499 Ft 467.8K

-65.06%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Vac: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $426 in Vac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 186% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Vac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $217 per month, with Vac 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 Vac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vac is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Vac earns 186% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $426 in Vac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $289 in Vac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,136 in Vac versus $1,232 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 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.