Cost of Living Comparison Between Pilikwe and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pilikwe and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $578 in Pilikwe versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $911 in Pilikwe versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,245 in Pilikwe versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Pilikwe costs roughly 54% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pilikwe 58% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 P 148

$4.66 ฿154

141.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.59 P 389

$32.22 ฿1,065

-8.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 P 76.5

$8.68 ฿287

-32.95%

Cappuccino

$2.43 P 31.98

$2.90 ฿95.8

-16.21%

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

$0.78 P 10.18

$0.84 ฿27.89

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 P 5.85

$0.49 ฿16.16

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 P 27.38

$2.48 ฿82.0

-16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 P 33.50

$3.73 ฿123

-31.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 P 20.05

$1.89 ฿62.3

-19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 P 11.01

$1.41 ฿46.54

-40.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 P 23.96

$1.62 ฿53.6

12.35%

Eggs

$2.43 P 31.98

$2.24 ฿74.1

8.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.04 P 79.4

$19.84 ฿656

-69.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 P 61.4

$3.48 ฿115

34.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.88 P 64.1

$11.37 ฿376

-57.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 P 20.61

$2.90 ฿95.8

-45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 P 19.20

$1.72 ฿57.0

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 P 26.00

$2.27 ฿75.1

-12.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 P 21.46

$2.13 ฿70.4

-23.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 P 18.47

$1.47 ฿48.72

-4.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 P 16.01

$1.42 ฿46.92

-14.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 P 19.13

$1.10 ฿36.25

32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 P 11.21

$0.60 ฿19.76

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 P 49.52

$4.31 ฿142

-12.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.47 P 58.8

$18.60 ฿615

-75.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 P 18.61

$1.80 ฿59.5

-21.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 P 22.23

$2.97 ฿98.0

-43.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 P 7.93

$3.10 ฿102

-80.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 P 33.23

$1.08 ฿35.56

134.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 P 38.87

$3.87 ฿128

-23.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 P 18.00

$1.43 ฿47.16

-4.20%

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

$20.1K P 264.7K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-27.49%

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

$21.0K P 276.4K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-22.01%

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

$61.6 P 810

$105 ฿3,462

-41.19%

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

$20.05 P 263

$11.39 ฿376

76.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.86 P 550

$17.54 ฿580

138.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$6.45 P 84.8

$7.78 ฿257

-17.10%

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

$130 P 1,708

$576 ฿19.0K

-77.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,531 P 33.2K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-78.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.39 P 623

$63.6 ฿2,103

-25.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.10 P 225

$29.10 ฿961

-41.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 P 882

$96.2 ฿3,179

-30.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 P 970

$90.0 ฿2,974

-17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

5.57

109.52%

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

Last update for Pilikwe: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30.00 in Pilikwe vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $275 per month, with Pilikwe 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

Pilikwe vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pilikwe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $867 in Pilikwe and $1,898 in Phuket 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 $130 in Pilikwe versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pilikwe – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $578 in Pilikwe versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pilikwe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pilikwe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pilikwe 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, Pilikwe and Phuket 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 Pilikwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.