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: $1,413 in Plunge versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,201 in Plunge versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Plunge versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Plunge is roughly 15% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Plunge is 6% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 €11.64

$4.63 ฿151

194.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €60.3

$46.84 ฿1,523

50.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 €7.78

$8.84 ฿287

3.05%

Cappuccino

$3.66 €3.12

$3.00 ฿97.4

22.00%

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

$2.12 €1.81

$0.74 ฿24.11

186.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.08

$0.37 ฿11.88

559.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.23 €4.46

$2.44 ฿79.3

114.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 €4.57

$3.61 ฿117

48.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.31

$2.26 ฿73.5

-31.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.84 ฿59.8

-16.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 €2.22

$2.24 ฿73.0

16.07%

Eggs

$2.87 €2.45

$2.32 ฿75.3

23.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 €10.95

$19.67 ฿639

-34.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 €6.04

$3.65 ฿119

93.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 €10.44

$13.10 ฿426

-6.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 €1.37

$3.39 ฿110

-52.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 €1.37

$1.64 ฿53.4

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 €1.85

$2.41 ฿78.5

-9.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 €2.80

$2.03 ฿66.0

61.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 €0.80

$1.56 ฿50.6

-39.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 €0.88

$1.50 ฿48.66

-31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.02 ฿33.30

88.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.80

$0.49 ฿15.91

91.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 €4.97

$4.45 ฿145

30.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.35 €7.98

$18.88 ฿614

-50.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.78 ฿57.7

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.88

$2.75 ฿89.5

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.40 ฿45.54

-15.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.06 €28.23

$11.48 ฿373

187.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €2.88

$3.12 ฿101

8.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.00

$1.00 ฿32.48

17.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.19 €13.82

$14.09 ฿458

14.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.35 ฿43.93

24.44%

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

$34.7K €29.6K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

27.69%

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

$33.1K €28.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

0.59%

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

$244 €208

$125 ฿4,063

95.16%

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

$14.13 €12.07

$13.57 ฿441

4.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.90 €14.44

$18.52 ฿602

-8.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.30 €35.27

$61.5 ฿1,999

-32.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 €19.41

$16.84 ฿547

34.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 €7.95

$9.19 ฿299

1.31%

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

$625 €533

$698 ฿22.7K

-10.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,093 €7,766

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-41.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €73.8

$57.8 ฿1,878

49.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.66 €36.43

$35.24 ฿1,146

21.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €92.8

$113 ฿3,677

-3.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €110

$86.4 ฿2,808

49.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 €448

$616 ฿20.0K

-14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 €306

$446 ฿14.5K

-19.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 €710

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-59.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 €560

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-56.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,699 €2,305

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-28.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,582 €1,351

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-40.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,314 €1,122

$524 ฿17.0K

150.81%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $524 in Plunge and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plunge pays 151% 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: $71.0 in Plunge vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 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 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Plunge pays 151% 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: $524 in Plunge versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $625 in Plunge versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Plunge pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,413 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 15% less than in Plunge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.