Cost of Living Comparison Between Plunge and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Plunge and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,384 in Plunge versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Plunge versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,969 in Plunge versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Plunge is roughly 13% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Plunge is 4% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.62 €11.73

$4.51 ฿147

202.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €58.8

$46.62 ฿1,515

46.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 €7.75

$8.49 ฿276

6.01%

Cappuccino

$3.65 €3.14

$3.08 ฿100

18.51%

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

$2.04 €1.76

$0.68 ฿22.07

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.01

$0.36 ฿11.75

547.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 €4.42

$2.43 ฿78.8

111.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.41

$3.63 ฿118

41.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.19 ฿71.1

-32.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.81 ฿59.0

-12.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.23 ฿72.5

13.90%

Eggs

$2.89 €2.49

$2.24 ฿72.7

29.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €11.03

$19.60 ฿637

-34.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 €5.95

$3.72 ฿121

85.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.43 €10.70

$13.47 ฿438

-7.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$3.36 ฿109

-52.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.62 ฿52.5

1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.41 ฿78.3

-12.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.83

$1.99 ฿64.6

65.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 €0.76

$1.53 ฿49.76

-41.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.45 ฿47.19

-24.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.01 ฿32.96

85.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.81

$0.48 ฿15.73

97.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 €4.93

$4.27 ฿139

33.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.55 €9.08

$19.12 ฿621

-44.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.84 ฿59.7

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.74 ฿89.1

-20.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.42 ฿46.06

-16.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.98 €28.40

$11.72 ฿381

181.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 €2.84

$3.00 ฿97.6

9.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.05 ฿34.00

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.53 €14.23

$13.90 ฿452

18.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.29 ฿41.94

32.56%

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

$35.4K €30.5K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

26.21%

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

$33.3K €28.7K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-0.50%

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

$243 €209

$122 ฿3,964

98.85%

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

$13.81 €11.89

$13.93 ฿453

-0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.91 €14.56

$18.87 ฿613

-10.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.20 €36.34

$61.3 ฿1,992

-31.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.18 €19.96

$16.84 ฿547

37.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 €7.78

$8.89 ฿289

1.57%

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

$631 €543

$691 ฿22.5K

-8.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,073 €7,813

$16.2K ฿525.2K

-43.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €75.8

$57.8 ฿1,878

52.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 €36.49

$35.39 ฿1,150

19.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €94.0

$113 ฿3,685

-3.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €114

$83.0 ฿2,698

58.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 €467

$607 ฿19.7K

-10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 €313

$448 ฿14.6K

-19.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 €727

$2,029 ฿66.0K

-58.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 €557

$1,493 ฿48.5K

-56.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,127 €2,692

$3,585 ฿116.5K

-12.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 €1,539

$2,585 ฿84.0K

-30.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,324 €1,140

$505 ฿16.4K

162.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

5.33

-15.76%

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

Last update for Plunge: June 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Plunge and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plunge pays 162% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Plunge vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $263 vs $292, with Plunge cheaper for home cooking.

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

Plunge vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Plunge pays 162% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $542 in Plunge versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $631 in Plunge versus $691 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Plunge pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,384 in Plunge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Plunge. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Plunge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Plunge 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Plunge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.