Cost of Living Comparison Between Road Town and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Road Town and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,623 in Road Town versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,530 in Road Town versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,437 in Road Town versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Road Town is roughly 113% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Road Town is 92% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.84 $17.84

$4.41 ฿147

304.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$32.26 ฿1,074

143.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 $7.82

$8.93 ฿297

-12.43%

Cappuccino

$4.62 $4.62

$2.90 ฿96.4

59.31%

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

$1.67 $1.67

$0.88 ฿29.30

89.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.48 ฿16.01

102.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.35 ฿78.3

68.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.72 ฿124

-52.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.87 ฿62.1

19.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.47 ฿48.81

212.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.55 ฿51.7

92.90%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$2.10 ฿70.0

131.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$2.98 ฿99.3

25.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.68 ฿56.1

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.21 ฿73.5

-8.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$2.16 ฿72.0

200.93%

Potato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$1.52 ฿50.8

215.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.34 ฿44.55

194.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.48 $6.48

$1.13 ฿37.57

473.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.55 ฿18.19

240.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.31 $5.31

$4.26 ฿142

24.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 $10.89

$19.09 ฿635

-42.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.23 ฿74.2

80.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.49 ฿49.63

-16.11%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

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

$166 $166

$102 ฿3,411

61.55%

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

$81.8 $81.8

$11.33 ฿377

622.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 $125

$17.40 ฿579

616.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$52.1 ฿1,734

130.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.07 $20.07

$11.07 ฿369

81.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 $10.04

$7.69 ฿256

30.56%

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

$381 $381

$561 ฿18.7K

-32.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-11.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.83 $47.83

$63.0 ฿2,098

-24.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 $55.4

$29.52 ฿983

87.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 $132

$98.0 ฿3,263

34.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$88.5 ฿2,946

55.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 $1,673

$738 ฿24.6K

126.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 $1,347

$482 ฿16.1K

179.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,332 $4,332

$2,107 ฿70.1K

105.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,603 $3,603

$1,226 ฿40.8K

193.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,692 $1,692

$494 ฿16.4K

242.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Road Town: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Road Town and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Road Town pays 243% 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: $79.0 in Road Town vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $274, with Road Town 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

Road Town vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 243% higher in Road Town, 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: $1,673 in Road Town versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $381 in Road Town versus $561 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 $32.00 versus $79.0 in Road Town. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,623 in Road Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Road Town. 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 Road Town, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Road Town 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 113% less than in Road Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.