Cost of Living Comparison Between Simpson Bay and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Simpson Bay and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,727 in Simpson Bay versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,371 in Simpson Bay versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,016 in Simpson Bay versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Simpson Bay is roughly 195% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Simpson Bay is 178% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.68 ANG 38.70

$4.70 ฿153

361.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$137 ANG 245

$45.37 ฿1,482

202.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

Cappuccino

$2.96 ANG 5.29

$2.93 ฿95.6

1.02%

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

$2.93 ANG 5.23

$0.69 ฿22.40

324.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ANG 5.41

$0.37 ฿11.99

718.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 ANG 9.99

$2.41 ฿78.6

132.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 ANG 7.00

$3.72 ฿122

5.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.51 ANG 8.05

$2.23 ฿72.9

102.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ANG 4.39

$1.83 ฿59.8

34.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 ANG 4.65

$2.17 ฿70.8

19.82%

Eggs

$4.17 ANG 7.44

$2.21 ฿72.3

88.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.68 ANG 33.34

$19.74 ฿645

-5.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 ANG 24.94

$3.63 ฿119

284.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 ANG 27.01

$13.53 ฿442

11.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 ANG 6.67

$3.28 ฿107

14.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 ANG 5.10

$1.61 ฿52.6

77.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 ANG 9.33

$2.41 ฿78.6

117.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 ANG 7.01

$2.08 ฿68.1

88.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 ANG 5.38

$1.53 ฿49.93

96.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 ANG 3.49

$1.48 ฿48.36

31.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 ANG 5.33

$0.99 ฿32.29

202.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ANG 2.53

$0.51 ฿16.67

178.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 ANG 27.14

$19.38 ฿633

-21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ANG 1.74

$1.78 ฿58.1

-45.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ANG 2.76

$2.71 ฿88.6

-43.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 ANG 3.86

$1.37 ฿44.79

57.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 ANG 17.95

$3.02 ฿98.6

233.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ANG 2.60

$1.36 ฿44.51

7.35%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$503 ANG 898

$122 ฿3,975

313.17%

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

$35.37 ANG 63.1

$13.57 ฿443

160.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.9 ANG 153

$18.31 ฿598

369.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.49 ANG 15.15

$8.69 ฿284

-2.30%

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

$1,019 ANG 1,818

$693 ฿22.6K

46.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ANG 21.9K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-21.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 ANG 141

$115 ฿3,743

-31.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 ANG 4,068

$613 ฿20.0K

271.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,336 ANG 4,170

$437 ฿14.3K

434.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,559 ANG 11.7K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

213.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,796 ANG 10.3K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

283.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Simpson Bay: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,279 in Simpson Bay and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $137 in Simpson Bay vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 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

Simpson Bay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 195% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,590 in Simpson Bay and $1,898 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: $2,279 in Simpson Bay versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,019 in Simpson Bay versus $693 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 $45.00 versus $137 in Simpson Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,727 in Simpson Bay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Simpson Bay. 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 Simpson Bay, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Simpson Bay 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 195% less than in Simpson Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.