Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesada and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesada and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,497 in Quesada versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,295 in Quesada versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,092 in Quesada versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Quesada is roughly 19% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quesada is 11% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 ₡4,921

$4.56 ฿149

138.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 ₡27.3K

$46.63 ฿1,519

29.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 ₡4,549

$8.47 ฿276

18.89%

Cappuccino

$3.79 ₡1,711

$3.03 ฿98.6

25.08%

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

$1.96 ₡886

$0.69 ฿22.45

184.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₡726

$0.37 ฿11.92

335.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 ₡1,317

$2.49 ฿81.0

16.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₡1,014

$3.66 ฿119

-38.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₡922

$2.18 ฿71.0

-6.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 ₡1,292

$1.90 ฿62.0

50.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ₡964

$2.20 ฿71.6

-3.18%

Eggs

$2.32 ₡1,048

$2.22 ฿72.4

4.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,510

$19.99 ฿651

-50.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 ₡4,224

$3.66 ฿119

155.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 ₡6,239

$13.25 ฿432

4.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 ₡2,040

$3.23 ฿105

39.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₡658

$1.70 ฿55.3

-14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 ₡435

$2.39 ฿78.0

-59.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 ₡1,537

$2.08 ฿67.7

63.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 ₡1,578

$1.59 ฿51.8

119.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 ₡1,465

$1.48 ฿48.31

118.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 ₡427

$1.03 ฿33.54

-7.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,313

$0.52 ฿16.83

459.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 ₡2,335

$4.25 ฿138

21.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 ₡6,887

$18.79 ฿612

-18.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₡1,128

$1.76 ฿57.2

42.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₡1,327

$2.76 ฿89.8

6.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ₡459

$1.36 ฿44.32

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ₡621

$3.14 ฿102

-56.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 ₡613

$1.04 ฿33.74

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 ₡3,512

$13.77 ฿448

-43.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₡627

$1.34 ฿43.79

3.73%

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

$37.9K ₡17.1M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

36.76%

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

$32.8K ₡14.8M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-3.21%

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

$124 ฿4,025

-22.95%

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

$25.45 ₡11.5K

$13.52 ฿440

88.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.46 ₡22.3K

$18.69 ฿609

164.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.26 ₡18.2K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-34.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 ₡10.7K

$17.25 ฿562

36.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.38 ₡2,430

$9.14 ฿298

-41.14%

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

$229 ₡103.4K

$703 ฿22.9K

-67.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,815 ₡1.7M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-75.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 ₡27.8K

$59.5 ฿1,937

3.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 ₡22.9K

$35.07 ฿1,142

44.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.8K

$115 ฿3,754

3.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 ₡44.1K

$84.1 ฿2,737

16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 ₡349.0K

$619 ฿20.1K

24.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 ₡273.2K

$433 ฿14.1K

39.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 ₡699.8K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-24.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$972 ₡439.0K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-35.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,138 ₡1.9M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

13.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,150 ₡971.5K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-18.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

5.33

90.81%

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

Last update for Quesada: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $772 in Quesada and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Quesada vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 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

Quesada vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,245 in Quesada 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: $772 in Quesada versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Quesada versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $61.0 in Quesada. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,497 in Quesada, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Quesada. 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 Quesada, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Quesada 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 19% less than in Quesada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.