😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $816 in Villa Nueva.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,335 in Villa Nueva.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,854 in Villa Nueva.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 51% more expensive than Villa Nueva, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket8% lower, Villa Nueva39% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63฿151
$4.55Q 34.76
1.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84฿1,532
$23.55Q 180
98.90%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿289
$4.85Q 37.09
82.27%
Cappuccino
$3.00฿98.0
$3.17Q 24.24
-5.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74฿24.25
$0.75Q 5.73
-1.33%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.95
$0.41Q 3.12
-9.76%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44฿79.8
$1.33Q 10.13
83.46%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61฿118
$1.95Q 14.89
85.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿73.9
$2.00Q 15.25
13.00%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84฿60.1
$1.05Q 8.03
75.24%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24฿73.4
$1.46Q 11.13
53.42%
Eggs
$2.32฿75.7
$2.00Q 15.30
16.00%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67฿643
$7.47Q 57.1
163.32%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿119
$6.58Q 50.3
-44.53%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10฿428
$8.85Q 67.6
48.02%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39฿111
$4.60Q 35.12
-26.30%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿53.7
$2.14Q 16.33
-23.36%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿79.0
$5.05Q 38.60
-52.28%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿66.4
$1.12Q 8.53
81.25%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56฿50.9
$1.41Q 10.79
10.64%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿48.94
$1.42Q 10.84
5.63%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.50
$1.32Q 10.10
-22.73%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.00
$1.34Q 10.23
-63.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45฿145
$3.32Q 25.39
34.04%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88฿617
$8.82Q 67.4
114.06%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
$1.28Q 9.75
39.06%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75฿90.1
$1.91Q 14.57
43.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40฿45.81
$1.01Q 7.74
38.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48฿376
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12฿102
$1.93Q 14.77
61.66%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.67
$0.60Q 4.56
66.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09฿461
-
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35฿44.19
$1.01Q 7.68
33.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿888.9K
$16.5KQ 126.2K
64.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$16.2KQ 123.9K
102.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,087
$49.15Q 375
154.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿444
$26.10Q 199
-48.01%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52฿606
$26.28Q 201
-29.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5฿2,010
$19.32Q 148
218.22%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84฿551
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.19฿300
$4.66Q 35.59
97.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.8K
$51.4Q 392
1259.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6K฿509.9K
$12.6KQ 96.4K
23.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8฿1,889
$45.62Q 349
26.61%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24฿1,152
$52.8Q 403
-33.22%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,699
$90.1Q 688
25.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4฿2,825
$84.0Q 642
2.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616฿20.1K
$328Q 2,505
87.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.6K
$196Q 1,499
127.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048฿67.0K
$710Q 5,421
188.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿48.8K
$452Q 3,455
229.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779฿123.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649฿86.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Villa Nueva
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524฿17.1K
-
-
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: April 27, 2026
Last update for Villa Nueva: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $328 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 $292 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 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,223 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: $616 in Phuket versus $328 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 $698 in Phuket versus $51.4 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 $816 in Villa Nueva versus $1,232 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 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.