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: $3,927 in Simpson Bay versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,485 in Simpson Bay versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,042 in Simpson Bay versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Simpson Bay is roughly 213% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Simpson Bay is 186% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.94 ANG 33.81

$4.56 ฿150

315.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$130 ANG 232

$32.62 ฿1,073

298.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 ANG 23.26

$8.90 ฿293

46.40%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ANG 7.92

$2.80 ฿92.2

58.57%

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

$3.03 ANG 5.40

$0.88 ฿28.94

244.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ANG 5.22

$0.49 ฿16.08

495.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 ANG 10.00

$2.39 ฿78.5

134.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 ANG 7.01

$3.71 ฿122

5.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.06 ANG 7.25

$1.79 ฿58.8

126.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 ANG 5.03

$1.44 ฿47.40

95.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 ANG 5.42

$1.58 ฿52.1

92.41%

Eggs

$4.44 ANG 7.93

$2.13 ฿69.9

108.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.67 ANG 44.04

$19.92 ฿655

23.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.58 ANG 24.25

$3.43 ฿113

295.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 ANG 30.30

$11.33 ฿372

49.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 ANG 7.64

$2.95 ฿97.0

45.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ANG 6.35

$1.72 ฿56.6

106.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.62 ANG 11.81

$2.32 ฿76.5

185.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 ANG 8.99

$2.08 ฿68.4

142.31%

Potato (1kg)

$4.03 ANG 7.20

$1.47 ฿48.34

174.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 ANG 6.19

$1.36 ฿44.65

155.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 ANG 5.45

$1.10 ฿36.13

177.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 ANG 2.51

$0.57 ฿18.89

145.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 ANG 27.26

$18.42 ฿606

-17.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ANG 3.05

$2.92 ฿96.1

-41.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 ANG 5.45

$2.22 ฿73.0

37.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.81 ANG 26.44

$3.03 ฿99.6

388.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ANG 2.36

$1.49 ฿49.06

-11.41%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

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

$505 ANG 902

$103 ฿3,380

391.36%

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

$34.81 ANG 62.1

$10.99 ฿361

216.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.2 ANG 157

$17.51 ฿576

403.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 ANG 131

$53.5 ฿1,760

37.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 ANG 14.69

$7.48 ฿246

10.03%

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

$753 ANG 1,345

$557 ฿18.3K

35.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ANG 21.5K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

1.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 ANG 89.6

$64.1 ฿2,107

-21.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 ANG 71.1

$29.07 ฿956

37.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ANG 179

$96.0 ฿3,155

4.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 ANG 106

$90.3 ฿2,970

-34.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,297 ANG 4,101

$730 ฿24.0K

214.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,280 ANG 4,070

$500 ฿16.4K

356.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,893 ANG 10.5K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

181.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,742 ANG 10.2K

$1,209 ฿39.8K

374.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

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 Simpson Bay: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,297 in Simpson Bay and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $130 in Simpson Bay vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $468 vs $273 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 213% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,891 in Simpson Bay and $1,880 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: $2,297 in Simpson Bay versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $753 in Simpson Bay versus $557 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 $33.00 versus $130 in Simpson Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $3,927 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 213% less than in Simpson Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.