Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat Thani and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat Thani: $776 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Surat Thani
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Surat Thani Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$776

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $776 in Surat Thani versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Surat Thani $776
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,431 in Surat Thani versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Surat Thani $1,431
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,085 in Surat Thani versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Surat Thani $2,085
Phuket $2,867

Living in Surat Thani costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surat Thani 42% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.83 ฿61.1

$4.58 ฿153

-60.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.53 ฿586

$32.48 ฿1,086

-46.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.57 ฿153

$8.55 ฿286

-46.55%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ฿50.2

$2.72 ฿91.0

-44.85%

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

$0.47 ฿15.69

$0.94 ฿31.25

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.48

$0.49 ฿16.39

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 ฿82.2

$2.59 ฿86.6

-5.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.83 ฿128

-5.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.74 ฿58.1

-1.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ฿39.29

$1.43 ฿47.82

-17.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿39.29

$1.53 ฿51.0

-22.88%

Eggs

$1.92 ฿64.1

$2.17 ฿72.7

-11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿654

$19.15 ฿640

2.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿115

$3.30 ฿110

3.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 ฿248

$11.14 ฿372

-33.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 ฿95.5

$2.95 ฿98.5

-3.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.1

$1.68 ฿56.1

-3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ฿58.7

$2.30 ฿76.8

-23.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.13 ฿71.3

-2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.97

$1.53 ฿51.1

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.78

$1.36 ฿45.55

-1.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ฿37.18

$1.12 ฿37.44

-0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.55

$0.55 ฿18.24

-25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ฿96.9

$4.26 ฿142

-31.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ฿620

$18.19 ฿608

2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 ฿52.6

$1.74 ฿58.2

-9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$2.79 ฿93.3

-36.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ฿35.52

$2.22 ฿74.1

-52.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.16 ฿707

$22.06 ฿737

-4.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ฿102

$2.91 ฿97.3

5.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ฿22.44

$1.01 ฿33.79

-33.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 ฿118

$3.83 ฿128

-7.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ฿38.67

$1.49 ฿49.85

-22.15%

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

$27.1K ฿905.4K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

1.54%

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

$26.4K ฿882.8K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-1.11%

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

$74.2 ฿2,478

$99.4 ฿3,321

-25.38%

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

$11.30 ฿378

$11.28 ฿377

0.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.34 ฿579

$17.36 ฿580

-0.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.81 ฿1,598

$52.3 ฿1,747

-8.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.28 ฿477

$10.85 ฿362

31.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ฿151

$7.57 ฿253

-40.16%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$558 ฿18.7K

-0.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.6K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

0.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,106

$62.9 ฿2,102

0.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.85 ฿964

$28.58 ฿955

0.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 ฿3,220

$96.1 ฿3,213

0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 ฿2,970

$88.1 ฿2,943

0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 ฿7,695

$729 ฿24.4K

-68.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 ฿4,879

$460 ฿15.4K

-68.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 ฿46.5K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-33.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 ฿24.4K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-40.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,907 ฿63.7K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-44.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,604 ฿53.6K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-35.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

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 Surat Thani: October 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surat Thani

$245 31.6%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 9.1% $22

Accommodation & Living

Surat Thani

$146 18.8%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 215% $314

Clothing & Footwear

Surat Thani

$125 16.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 0.5% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surat Thani

$103 13.2%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 24.5% $25

Eating Out

Surat Thani

$69 8.9%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 75.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Surat Thani

$57 7.3%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 18.6% $11

Getting Around

Surat Thani

$32 4.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 22.2% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $230 in Surat Thani and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Surat Thani vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $268 per month, with Surat Thani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

Same time as Surat Thani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,040

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Surat Thani Phuket 170 km

From you

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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

Surat Thani vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surat Thani is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,165 in Surat Thani and $1,811 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: $230 in Surat Thani versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Surat Thani versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $776 in Surat Thani versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surat Thani but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Surat Thani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surat Thani is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.