Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surin and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Surin: $869 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Surin
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Surin Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Surin

🇹🇭 Thailand

$869

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Surin versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Surin $869
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,444 in Surin versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Surin $1,444
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,018 in Surin versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Surin $2,018
Phuket $2,845

Living in Surin costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surin 36% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ฿101

$4.40 ฿147

-31.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.70 ฿826

$32.26 ฿1,078

-23.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 ฿242

$8.76 ฿293

-17.47%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ฿58.3

$2.83 ฿94.5

-38.52%

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

$0.61 ฿20.30

$0.90 ฿30.14

-32.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.89

$0.47 ฿15.56

-29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 ฿73.5

$2.55 ฿85.2

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.83 ฿128

-10.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$1.73 ฿57.7

-9.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ฿43.79

$1.47 ฿49.11

-10.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.98

$1.51 ฿50.6

-2.65%

Eggs

$1.90 ฿63.5

$2.17 ฿72.7

-12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.41 ฿582

$19.70 ฿658

-11.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.48 ฿83.0

$3.34 ฿112

-25.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 ฿297

$11.16 ฿373

-20.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿86.0

$2.85 ฿95.1

-9.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 ฿34.23

$1.70 ฿56.9

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 ฿82.9

$2.19 ฿73.3

13.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.5

$2.05 ฿68.4

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.20

$1.45 ฿48.57

-0.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ฿31.77

$1.38 ฿46.16

-31.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ฿31.37

$1.07 ฿35.69

-12.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.59

$0.51 ฿16.91

-13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿143

$4.26 ฿142

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.36 ฿547

$18.58 ฿621

-11.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$1.78 ฿59.7

-11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ฿100

$2.85 ฿95.2

5.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ฿30.79

$2.26 ฿75.6

-59.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ฿45.65

$3.01 ฿101

-54.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.73

$1.06 ฿35.34

-4.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 ฿202

$3.86 ฿129

56.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿45.06

$1.45 ฿48.45

-6.90%

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

$22.7K ฿758.4K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-13.81%

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

$27.1K ฿904.4K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

0.44%

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

$77.8 ฿2,601

$96.4 ฿3,221

-19.26%

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

$11.53 ฿385

$11.04 ฿369

4.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.68 ฿624

$17.14 ฿573

8.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.58 ฿1,390

$52.2 ฿1,744

-20.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.45 ฿383

$11.16 ฿373

2.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$7.81 ฿261

-16.65%

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

$628 ฿21.0K

$556 ฿18.6K

12.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ฿405.0K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

4.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 ฿1,773

$64.2 ฿2,146

-17.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.95 ฿934

$28.69 ฿959

-2.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 ฿2,451

$95.4 ฿3,187

-23.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 ฿2,274

$88.0 ฿2,940

-22.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ฿14.7K

$737 ฿24.6K

-40.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ฿9,126

$462 ฿15.5K

-40.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ฿39.6K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-43.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 ฿23.9K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-40.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,730 ฿57.8K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-50.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,518 ฿50.7K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-39.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

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 Surin: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Surin

$273 31.4%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 69.3% $189

Groceries & Markets

Surin

$235 27%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 14.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surin

$108 12.4%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 15.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Surin

$100 11.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 24.2% $24

Eating Out

Surin

$88 10.2%

Phuket

$121 10% 37.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Surin

$55 6.3%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 24.2% $13

Getting Around

Surin

$10 * 1.2%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 291% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Surin and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Surin vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $269 per month, with Surin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Surin

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

Same time as Surin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,104

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surin Phuket 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Surin
Phuket

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

Surin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,303 in Surin and $1,813 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: $440 in Surin versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Surin versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surin – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Surin versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Surin but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Surin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surin 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, Surin 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 Surin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.