Cost of Living Comparison Between Praia and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Praia and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,217 in Praia versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,921 in Praia versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,626 in Praia versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Praia costs roughly 3% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Praia 9% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.11 CVE 493

$4.55 ฿153

12.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.36 CVE 3,507

$46.18 ฿1,554

-21.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 CVE 671

$8.84 ฿298

-21.27%

Cappuccino

$1.57 CVE 152

$3.06 ฿103

-48.69%

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

$3.11 CVE 300

$0.73 ฿24.42

326.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 CVE 125

$0.40 ฿13.40

222.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 CVE 253

$2.43 ฿81.8

7.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 CVE 196

$3.78 ฿127

-46.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 CVE 137

$2.26 ฿76.0

-37.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 CVE 209

$1.81 ฿60.9

19.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 CVE 326

$2.25 ฿75.8

50.22%

Eggs

$2.28 CVE 220

$2.25 ฿75.6

1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.76 CVE 2,581

$19.51 ฿656

37.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 CVE 385

$3.65 ฿123

9.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 CVE 1,689

$13.05 ฿439

34.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 CVE 501

$3.23 ฿109

60.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 CVE 299

$1.62 ฿54.4

91.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 CVE 362

$2.38 ฿80.2

57.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 CVE 470

$2.03 ฿68.2

139.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 CVE 139

$1.53 ฿51.6

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 CVE 155

$1.50 ฿50.5

7.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 CVE 144

$0.98 ฿32.93

52.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CVE 150

$0.52 ฿17.40

198.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 CVE 461

$4.44 ฿149

7.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.22 CVE 792

$18.32 ฿616

-55.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CVE 172

$1.86 ฿62.7

-3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 CVE 176

$2.68 ฿90.2

-31.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CVE 79.7

$1.41 ฿47.49

-41.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.93 CVE 2,791

$11.70 ฿394

147.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 CVE 149

$3.11 ฿105

-50.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 CVE 127

$1.04 ฿35.08

25.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 CVE 989

$14.11 ฿475

-27.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 CVE 153

$1.31 ฿44.13

21.37%

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

$29.7K CVE 2.9M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

6.75%

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

$38.8K CVE 3.7M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

16.92%

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

$183 CVE 17.7K

$122 ฿4,120

49.74%

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

$28.01 CVE 2,701

$13.59 ฿457

106.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 CVE 5,049

$18.70 ฿629

179.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.64 CVE 3,052

$60.5 ฿2,035

-47.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 CVE 830

$16.98 ฿572

-49.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 CVE 565

$9.07 ฿305

-35.39%

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

$145 CVE 14.0K

$706 ฿23.8K

-79.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,209 CVE 309.5K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-79.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 CVE 8,193

$58.6 ฿1,970

45.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.09 CVE 2,998

$35.36 ฿1,190

-12.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 CVE 8,207

$115 ฿3,885

-26.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 CVE 12.2K

$83.7 ฿2,818

51.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 CVE 45.7K

$626 ฿21.1K

-24.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 CVE 25.0K

$445 ฿15.0K

-41.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 CVE 104.4K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-46.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 CVE 53.9K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-62.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,392 CVE 134.3K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-60.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,036 CVE 100.0K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-59.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$314 CVE 30.3K

$500 ฿16.8K

-37.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

68.86%

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

Last update for Praia: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Praia and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 59% 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: $36.00 in Praia vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $356 vs $289, with Phuket 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

Praia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Praia is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $474 in Praia versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Praia versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,217 in Praia versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Praia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Praia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Praia 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, Praia 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 Praia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.