Cost of Living Comparison Between Toa Alta and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Toa Alta and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Toa Alta versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,960 in Toa Alta versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,622 in Toa Alta versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Toa Alta is roughly 3% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Toa Alta 3% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.24 $13.24

$4.48 ฿150

195.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 $82.5

$45.59 ฿1,522

81.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 $9.42

$8.76 ฿292

7.53%

Cappuccino

$3.57 $3.57

$2.97 ฿99.1

20.20%

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

$1.56 $1.56

$0.69 ฿22.92

126.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.39 ฿13.05

256.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.53 ฿84.5

15.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.75 ฿125

18.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.15 ฿71.6

11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.82 ฿60.6

92.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.18 ฿73.0

Eggs

$5.25 $5.25

$2.25 ฿75.1

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$20.00 ฿668

-74.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 $8.64

$3.63 ฿121

138.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$13.56 ฿453

-51.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.24 ฿108

81.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.64 ฿54.6

59.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.33 ฿77.9

64.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.07 ฿69.2

100.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.55 ฿51.7

154.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.46 ฿48.58

101.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.98 ฿32.88

202.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.48 ฿16.11

295.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.79 $11.79

$4.35 ฿145

171.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$18.57 ฿620

-18.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.86 ฿62.0

38.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.65 ฿88.7

23.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.03 ฿34.45

47.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.04 $15.04

$13.89 ฿464

8.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.34 ฿44.88

-26.12%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.8K ฿927.9K

31.92%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-19.19%

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

$404 $404

$123 ฿4,109

228.25%

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

$78.1 $78.1

$13.77 ฿460

467.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 $59.3

$18.33 ฿612

223.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.30 $28.30

$60.7 ฿2,026

-53.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$7.34 $7.34

$8.87 ฿296

-17.25%

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

$464 $464

$688 ฿23.0K

-32.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K $10.3K

$15.8K ฿526.9K

-34.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.42 $46.42

$59.3 ฿1,980

-21.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 $56.5

$34.69 ฿1,158

62.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 $92.1

$115 ฿3,846

-20.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$83.8 ฿2,797

25.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 $1,802

$2,034 ฿67.9K

-11.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.78

5.33

-10.32%

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

Last update for Toa Alta: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $83.0 in Toa Alta vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $291 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

Toa Alta vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Clothing & Footwear. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Toa Alta and $1,896 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.

Childcare runs $464 in Toa Alta versus $688 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 $46.00 versus $83.0 in Toa Alta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,297 in Toa Alta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Toa Alta. 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 Toa Alta, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Toa Alta 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 3% less than in Toa Alta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.