Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vazquez de Coronado

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,764 in Vazquez de Coronado, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Vazquez de Coronado
Learn more

Vazquez de Coronado Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Vazquez de Coronado

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Vazquez de Coronado

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Vazquez de Coronado actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,764 in Vazquez de Coronado.

Phuket $1,278
Vazquez de Coronado $1,764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,824 in Vazquez de Coronado.

Phuket $2,216
Vazquez de Coronado $2,824

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,884 in Vazquez de Coronado.

Phuket $3,154
Vazquez de Coronado $3,884

Living in Phuket costs roughly 28% less than in Vazquez de Coronado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Vazquez de Coronado is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$12.02 ₡5,426

-62.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-46.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.48 ₡5,180

-23.26%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$4.38 ₡1,978

-35.39%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.72 ₡1,228

-68.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.93 ₡869

-74.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$3.30 ₡1,491

-22.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.55 ₡2,054

-19.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.30 ₡1,038

-27.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$3.05 ₡1,376

-52.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.42 ₡1,092

-38.02%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.57 ₡1,609

-41.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$10.57 ₡4,770

80.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.35 ₡4,670

-68.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.74 ₡6,201

-20.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$5.03 ₡2,268

-41.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.64 ₡740

3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.88 ₡2,200

-53.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$3.84 ₡1,733

-45.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.92 ₡1,768

-61.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$3.75 ₡1,691

-63.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.12 ₡507

-4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$3.24 ₡1,463

-83.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.76 ₡2,597

-27.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$20.27 ₡9,146

-7.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.81 ₡1,269

-35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.59 ₡1,618

-20.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.25 ₡565

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.40 ₡1,083

25.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.62 ₡729

-37.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$8.85 ₡3,994

-58.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.52 ₡686

-3.29%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$33.8K ₡15.2M

-20.73%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$42.6K ₡19.2M

-37.38%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$96.4 ₡43.5K

-0.05%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$36.34 ₡16.4K

-69.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$58.8 ₡26.5K

-71.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$64.8 ₡29.2K

3.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.78 ₡3,510

-3.60%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$966 ₡435.9K

-50.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-33.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$71.3 ₡32.2K

-12.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$55.3 ₡24.9K

-48.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$127 ₡57.1K

-25.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$133 ₡59.9K

-35.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$821 ₡370.3K

-12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$676 ₡304.8K

-27.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,771 ₡799.0K

8.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,416 ₡639.1K

1.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.62

-35.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vazquez de Coronado: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Vazquez de Coronado

$676 38.3% 37.6% $185

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Vazquez de Coronado

$400 22.7% 50.3% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Vazquez de Coronado

$192 10.9% 53.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Vazquez de Coronado

$174 9.8% 42.4% $52

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Vazquez de Coronado

$227 12.9% 86.9% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Vazquez de Coronado

$80 4.6% 2.3% $1.9

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Vazquez de Coronado

$15 * 0.9% 78.1% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $821 in Vazquez de Coronado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $61 in Vazquez de Coronado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $400 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇷 Vazquez de Coronado

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

19:22 7:22 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

26,669

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Vazquez de Coronado 18,010 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Vazquez de Coronado

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Vazquez de Coronado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $2,646 in Vazquez de Coronado to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $821 in Vazquez de Coronado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $966 in Vazquez de Coronado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $61 in Vazquez de Coronado. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,764 in Vazquez de Coronado, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vazquez de Coronado. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Vazquez de Coronado are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.