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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,103 in Vac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,758 in Vac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,412 in Vac.

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than Vac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Vac 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$8.78 Ft 2,655

-48.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$46.01 Ft 13.9K

1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.70 Ft 2,633

-2.64%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.11 Ft 639

43.60%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.39 Ft 421

-50.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.04 Ft 314

-64.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.85 Ft 560

34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.30 Ft 694

59.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.06 Ft 319

105.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.52 Ft 459

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.83 Ft 553

20.22%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.58 Ft 782

-13.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.50 Ft 2,875

110.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.89 Ft 1,781

-37.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.75 Ft 3,554

12.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.89 Ft 573

70.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.91 Ft 577

-10.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.06 Ft 623

16.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.11 Ft 940

-33.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.08 Ft 327

47.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.26 Ft 381

17.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.56 Ft 471

-33.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.55 Ft 167

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.65 Ft 2,011

-36.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.33 Ft 1,612

252.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.13 Ft 341

55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.41 Ft 426

95.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.18 Ft 357

15.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$25.22 Ft 7,631

-54.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.90 Ft 876

8.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.13 Ft 341

-7.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$16.98 Ft 5,138

-18.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.73 Ft 525

-22.54%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$25.6K Ft 7.7M

8.16%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$31.4K Ft 9.5M

7.68%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$140 Ft 42.4K

-11.89%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$26.75 Ft 8,094

-49.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$20.01 Ft 6,055

-6.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$46.65 Ft 14.1K

32.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$16.83 Ft 5,093

2.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.47 Ft 2,261

22.36%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$300 Ft 90.7K

134.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,864 Ft 2.1M

131.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$69.8 Ft 21.1K

-14.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$27.54 Ft 8,331

27.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$75.6 Ft 22.9K

52.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$85.1 Ft 25.7K

-1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$434 Ft 131.4K

42.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$339 Ft 102.7K

27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$785 Ft 237.4K

162.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$710 Ft 214.9K

112.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$3,235 Ft 978.7K

12.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,436 Ft 737.0K

7.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,473 Ft 445.5K

-65.57%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Vac: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $434 in Vac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 190% 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 $293 vs $219 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 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Vac earns 190% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $434 in Vac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $300 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 $1,103 in Vac versus $1,261 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 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.