Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vacoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vacoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $724 in Vacoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,107 in Vacoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,490 in Vacoas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 73% more expensive than in Vacoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Vacoas 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.58 MUR 309

-30.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$32.98 MUR 1,549

40.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.98 MUR 234

77.51%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.58 MUR 121

18.60%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.97 MUR 45.61

-24.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.60 MUR 28.01

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.26 MUR 106

7.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.99 MUR 93.5

89.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.34 MUR 62.8

68.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.66 MUR 30.79

174.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.26 MUR 59.3

78.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.10 MUR 98.6

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$2.83 MUR 133

589.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.92 MUR 137

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$5.44 MUR 255

139.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.99 MUR 93.5

62.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.01 MUR 94.4

-19.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.45 MUR 68.2

64.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.72 MUR 128

-25.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.98 MUR 46.23

56.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.01 MUR 47.21

48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.80 MUR 37.62

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.75 MUR 35.28

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.80 MUR 272

-23.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.48 MUR 304

182.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.46 MUR 68.7

27.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.22 MUR 104

20.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.94 MUR 44.34

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$4.30 MUR 202

-27.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.66 MUR 125

-60.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.53 MUR 213

211.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.40 MUR 65.8

-6.43%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$26.9K MUR 1.3M

3.42%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

17.53%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$49.42 MUR 2,321

147.75%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$11.04 MUR 519

23.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$25.44 MUR 1,195

-26.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$26.11 MUR 1,226

131.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.46 MUR 256

66.12%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$157 MUR 7,377

349.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,037 MUR 189.6K

291.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$29.83 MUR 1,401

96.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$28.57 MUR 1,342

23.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$66.6 MUR 3,130

73.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$59.5 MUR 2,793

40.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$262 MUR 12.3K

139.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$235 MUR 11.0K

89.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$520 MUR 24.4K

292.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$326 MUR 15.3K

358.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$697 MUR 32.7K

-28.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.25

25.41%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $262 in Vacoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vacoas pays 39% 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 $33.00 in Vacoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $156 per month, with Vacoas 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 Vacoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vacoas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Vacoas. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $262 in Vacoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $157 in Vacoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vacoas – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $724 in Vacoas versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vacoas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vacoas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vacoas 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 Vacoas 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 Vacoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.