😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $818 in Villa Nueva.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,308 in Villa Nueva.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,799 in Villa Nueva.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 54% more expensive than Villa Nueva, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket6% lower, Villa Nueva39% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.56฿149
$4.49Q 34.20
1.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.63฿1,519
$23.76Q 181
96.25%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.47฿276
$5.06Q 38.56
67.39%
Cappuccino
$3.03฿98.6
$3.34Q 25.41
-9.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69฿22.45
$0.75Q 5.70
-8.00%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.92
$0.41Q 3.08
-9.76%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.49฿81.0
$1.33Q 10.10
87.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66฿119
$1.97Q 15.03
85.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.18฿71.0
$1.99Q 15.12
9.55%
White Bread(500g)
$1.90฿62.0
$1.02Q 7.80
86.27%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.20฿71.6
$1.45Q 11.07
51.72%
Eggs
$2.22฿72.4
$1.92Q 14.62
15.63%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.99฿651
$7.69Q 58.6
159.95%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.66฿119
$6.63Q 50.5
-44.80%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.25฿432
$8.80Q 67.0
50.57%
Apples(1kg)
$3.23฿105
$4.45Q 33.86
-27.42%
Banana(1kg)
$1.70฿55.3
$2.04Q 15.57
-16.67%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.39฿78.0
$5.15Q 39.21
-53.59%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.08฿67.7
$1.16Q 8.83
79.31%
Potato(1kg)
$1.59฿51.8
$1.43Q 10.88
11.19%
Onion(1kg)
$1.48฿48.31
$1.45Q 11.07
2.07%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03฿33.54
$1.27Q 9.70
-18.90%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52฿16.83
$1.33Q 10.13
-60.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.25฿138
$3.33Q 25.35
27.63%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.79฿612
$9.12Q 69.4
106.03%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76฿57.2
$1.33Q 10.09
32.33%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76฿89.8
$1.93Q 14.66
43.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.36฿44.32
$1.03Q 7.84
32.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.36฿370
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.14฿102
$1.92Q 14.58
63.54%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.04฿33.74
$0.60Q 4.58
73.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$13.77฿448
-
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.34฿43.79
$1.06Q 8.07
26.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K฿901.4K
$16.5KQ 126.0K
67.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K฿1.1M
$16.0KQ 122.2K
111.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$124฿4,025
$48.48Q 369
154.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.52฿440
$25.97Q 198
-47.94%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69฿609
$26.07Q 198
-28.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.8฿2,013
$19.45Q 148
217.84%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.25฿562
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.14฿298
$4.64Q 35.36
96.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$703฿22.9K
$52.1Q 397
1248.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.9K฿517.0K
$12.4KQ 94.1K
28.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5฿1,937
$46.40Q 353
28.15%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.07฿1,142
$54.2Q 413
-35.27%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115฿3,754
$91.1Q 694
26.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.1฿2,737
$84.0Q 640
0.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$619฿20.1K
$321Q 2,447
92.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$433฿14.1K
$197Q 1,503
119.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,062฿67.2K
$708Q 5,394
191.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,511฿49.2K
$463Q 3,522
226.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,646฿118.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,626฿85.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$507฿16.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
4
33.25%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026
Last update for Villa Nueva: June 7, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $321 in Villa Nueva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Villa Nueva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $244 per month, with Villa Nueva 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 Villa Nueva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Villa Nueva cheaper than Phuket?
Villa Nueva is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,227 in Villa Nueva 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Villa Nueva?
Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $321 in Villa Nueva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $52.1 in Villa Nueva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or Villa Nueva?
Dining out is cheaper in Villa Nueva – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Villa Nueva?
At $818 in Villa Nueva versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Villa Nueva but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Villa Nueva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Villa Nueva more family-friendly?
For families, Villa Nueva 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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Villa Nueva?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Villa Nueva are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Villa Nueva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.