Cost of Living Comparison Between Protaras and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Protaras and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,789 in Protaras versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,891 in Protaras versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,993 in Protaras versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Protaras is roughly 42% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Protaras is 33% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.22

$4.56 ฿149

287.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$46.63 ฿1,519

48.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 €7.35

$8.47 ฿276

0.71%

Cappuccino

$3.76 €3.24

$3.03 ฿98.6

24.09%

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

$2.14 €1.84

$0.69 ฿22.45

210.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.37 ฿11.92

264.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.81 €3.29

$2.49 ฿81.0

53.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 €3.72

$3.66 ฿119

18.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.18 ฿71.0

-22.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.90 ฿62.0

-10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.20 ฿71.6

11.36%

Eggs

$4.71 €4.06

$2.22 ฿72.4

112.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.05 €14.69

$19.99 ฿651

-14.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 €8.13

$3.66 ฿119

157.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 €12.78

$13.25 ฿432

11.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$3.23 ฿105

-15.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.70 ฿55.3

10.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$2.39 ฿78.0

-5.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 €3.32

$2.08 ฿67.7

85.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.59 ฿51.8

-12.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €0.97

$1.48 ฿48.31

-24.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.03 ฿33.54

-11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.71

$0.52 ฿16.83

59.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.63 €4.85

$4.25 ฿138

32.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.10 €7.84

$18.79 ฿612

-51.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.76 ฿57.2

5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.76 ฿89.8

-16.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.36 ฿44.32

66.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 €45.69

$11.36 ฿370

366.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 €7.40

$3.14 ฿102

173.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.04 ฿33.74

83.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.72 €18.71

$13.77 ฿448

57.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 €1.40

$1.34 ฿43.79

20.90%

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

$25.9K €22.3K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-6.44%

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

$35.4K €30.5K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

4.68%

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

$191 €165

$124 ฿4,025

54.73%

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

$23.78 €20.49

$13.52 ฿440

75.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.10 €34.55

$18.69 ฿609

114.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 €60.1

$61.8 ฿2,013

12.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.87 €25.74

$17.25 ฿562

73.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.81

$9.14 ฿298

24.51%

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

$459 €395

$703 ฿22.9K

-34.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,748 €6,676

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-51.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €76.4

$59.5 ฿1,937

49.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 €48.62

$35.07 ฿1,142

60.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.3

$115 ฿3,754

-3.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €90.6

$84.1 ฿2,737

25.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 €659

$619 ฿20.1K

23.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$433 ฿14.1K

49.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 €1,305

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-26.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,152

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-11.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,243 €3,656

$3,646 ฿118.7K

16.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,153 €1,855

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-18.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

5.33

-18.57%

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

Last update for Protaras: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $765 in Protaras and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Protaras vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $311 vs $293 per month, with Phuket 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

Protaras vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,683 in Protaras and $1,892 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $765 in Protaras versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $459 in Protaras versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Protaras. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,789 in Protaras, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Protaras. 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 Protaras, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Protaras 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 42% less than in Protaras. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.