Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Waling Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Waling

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $324 in Waling.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $541 in Waling.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $757 in Waling.

Living in Phuket is roughly 286% more expensive than in Waling, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Waling 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$1.95 NPR 296

133.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$20.39 NPR 3,085

59.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$6.54 NPR 989

36.09%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.60 NPR 242

75.00%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.55 NPR 83.6

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.16 NPR 24.70

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$3.36 NPR 509

-28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.70 NPR 560

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$0.76 NPR 115

135.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.48 NPR 72.8

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.93 NPR 140

69.89%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.29 NPR 195

65.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$6.46 NPR 978

208.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.60 NPR 393

31.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$3.31 NPR 500

242.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.10 NPR 318

40.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.76 NPR 115

126.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.33 NPR 202

74.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.58 NPR 87.9

258.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.38 NPR 56.9

286.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.37 NPR 56.1

267.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.46 NPR 69.4

139.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.22 NPR 32.82

159.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.66 NPR 403

60.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$5.18 NPR 784

255.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.31 NPR 349

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.94 NPR 445

-0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.99 NPR 301

52.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$1.28 NPR 194

-16.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$3.22 NPR 487

22.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.39 NPR 210

7.19%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$29.5K NPR 4.5M

-8.06%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$36.2K NPR 5.5M

-24.18%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$32.28 NPR 4,884

218.46%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$3.31 NPR 501

232.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$7.78 NPR 1,178

125.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$3.03 NPR 458

146.86%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$67.4 NPR 10.2K

726.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$4,826 NPR 730.1K

145.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$26.42 NPR 3,997

142.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$28.16 NPR 4,260

3.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$66.2 NPR 10.0K

45.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$29.65 NPR 4,485

204.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,080 NPR 163.4K

232.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,254 NPR 189.7K

100.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.72

-42.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Waling: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Waling for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $121 per month, with Waling 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 Waling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waling is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 286% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $487 in Waling 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.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $67.4 in Waling. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Waling – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $324 in Waling versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Waling but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Waling the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Waling 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 Waling 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 Waling gentler on the wallet – expenses run 286% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.