Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Songkhla and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Songkhla: $837 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Songkhla
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Songkhla Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Songkhla

🇹🇭 Thailand

$837

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Songkhla and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Songkhla and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $837 in Songkhla versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Songkhla $837
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,340 in Songkhla versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Songkhla $1,340
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,844 in Songkhla versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Songkhla $1,844
Phuket $3,154

Living in Songkhla costs roughly 35% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Songkhla 39% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.76 ฿59.5

$4.47 ฿151

-60.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.63 ฿832

$32.41 ฿1,094

-24.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ฿158

$8.81 ฿297

-46.77%

Cappuccino

$1.63 ฿54.9

$2.83 ฿95.5

-42.40%

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

$0.67 ฿22.66

$0.87 ฿29.43

-22.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ฿8.48

$0.49 ฿16.67

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 ฿59.0

$2.56 ฿86.4

-31.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 ฿161

$3.68 ฿124

29.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ฿53.8

$1.66 ฿56.0

-4.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ฿28.85

$1.46 ฿49.35

-41.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ฿55.4

$1.50 ฿50.6

9.33%

Eggs

$1.38 ฿46.68

$2.09 ฿70.5

-33.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 ฿568

$19.07 ฿644

-11.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.69 ฿90.8

$3.30 ฿111

-18.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ฿353

$10.91 ฿368

-4.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 ฿96.5

$2.93 ฿99.0

-2.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.69 ฿57.1

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿74.5

$2.25 ฿75.8

-1.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.40

$2.08 ฿70.1

-39.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.51 ฿51.0

-2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ฿57.6

$1.38 ฿46.56

23.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ฿37.47

$1.07 ฿35.99

3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ฿30.57

$0.52 ฿17.52

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿144

$4.20 ฿142

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 ฿454

$18.79 ฿634

-28.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ฿52.4

$1.82 ฿61.5

-14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 ฿155

$2.84 ฿95.9

61.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.94

$1.45 ฿49.03

-40.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 ฿2,049

$56.7 ฿1,913

7.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.85

$3.02 ฿102

-59.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ฿25.56

$1.02 ฿34.36

-25.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 ฿197

$3.69 ฿125

58.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ฿41.00

$1.47 ฿49.81

-17.69%

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

$26.3K ฿889.5K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-1.63%

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

$31.3K ฿1.1M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

17.33%

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

$85.3 ฿2,879

$96.4 ฿3,254

-11.51%

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

$12.64 ฿427

$11.26 ฿380

12.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.03 ฿609

$16.85 ฿569

7.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.35 ฿1,633

$67.2 ฿2,270

-28.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.08 ฿442

$10.73 ฿362

21.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.91 ฿200

$7.50 ฿253

-21.20%

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

$571 ฿19.3K

$476 ฿16.1K

19.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ฿372.9K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-1.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 ฿1,745

$62.4 ฿2,106

-17.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.14 ฿984

$28.41 ฿959

2.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 ฿2,591

$94.3 ฿3,184

-18.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ฿2,607

$85.8 ฿2,898

-10.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,059

$716 ฿24.2K

-66.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ฿6,021

$491 ฿16.6K

-63.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 ฿20.0K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-69.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 ฿13.9K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-71.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,933 ฿65.3K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-53.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ฿49.2K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-52.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$801 ฿27.1K

$502 ฿17.0K

59.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.33

5.57

67.50%

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

Last update for Songkhla: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Songkhla

$238 28.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 11.8% $28

Accommodation & Living

Songkhla

$178 21.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 175% $313

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Songkhla

$116 13.9%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 7.4% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Songkhla

$106 12.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 15.4% $16

Eating Out

Songkhla

$70 8.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 74.8% $52

Getting Around

Songkhla

$69 8.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 2.1% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Songkhla

$60 7.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 36.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $239 in Songkhla and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Songkhla pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25 in Songkhla vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $266 per month, with Songkhla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Songkhla

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

Same time as Songkhla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,758

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Songkhla vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Songkhla is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Songkhla, 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: $239 in Songkhla versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $571 in Songkhla versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $837 in Songkhla versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Songkhla but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Songkhla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Songkhla and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.