Cost of Living Comparison Between Udon Thani and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Udon Thani and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $782 in Udon Thani versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,270 in Udon Thani versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,758 in Udon Thani versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Udon Thani costs roughly 37% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Udon Thani 41% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.40 ฿80.7

$4.55 ฿153

-47.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.56 ฿892

$46.18 ฿1,550

-42.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 ฿277

$8.84 ฿297

-6.67%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ฿62.2

$3.06 ฿103

-39.54%

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

$0.87 ฿29.22

$0.73 ฿24.36

19.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿9.98

$0.40 ฿13.37

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$2.43 ฿81.6

-25.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ฿80.5

$3.78 ฿127

-36.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 ฿70.2

$2.26 ฿75.8

-7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 ฿46.37

$1.81 ฿60.8

-23.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.57

$2.25 ฿75.7

-40.89%

Eggs

$1.54 ฿51.6

$2.25 ฿75.4

-31.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.59 ฿624

$19.51 ฿655

-4.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$3.65 ฿122

-33.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.22 ฿377

$13.05 ฿438

-14.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿78.8

$3.23 ฿109

-27.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.62 ฿54.3

-37.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 ฿70.6

$2.38 ฿80.0

-11.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 ฿63.6

$2.03 ฿68.0

-6.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.6

$1.53 ฿51.5

6.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.50 ฿50.4

-32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 ฿26.75

$0.98 ฿32.85

-18.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ฿20.98

$0.52 ฿17.36

19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 ฿142

$4.44 ฿149

-4.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 ฿544

$18.32 ฿615

-11.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 ฿63.4

$1.86 ฿62.6

1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ฿72.7

$2.68 ฿90.0

-19.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ฿25.27

$1.41 ฿47.37

-46.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.14 ฿441

$11.70 ฿393

12.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.47

$3.11 ฿104

-65.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 ฿47.12

$1.04 ฿35.00

34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.23 ฿343

$14.11 ฿474

-27.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ฿42.38

$1.31 ฿44.02

-3.82%

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

$43.5K ฿1.5M

$27.8K ฿933.8K

56.29%

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

$35.5K ฿1.2M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

6.73%

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

$72.8 ฿2,445

$122 ฿4,110

-40.52%

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

$16.56 ฿556

$13.59 ฿456

21.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.15 ฿777

$18.70 ฿628

23.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 ฿1,663

$60.5 ฿2,031

-18.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.91 ฿266

$16.98 ฿570

-53.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ฿210

$9.07 ฿305

-31.09%

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

$279 ฿9,355

$706 ฿23.7K

-60.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ฿362.9K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-31.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.69 ฿1,232

$58.6 ฿1,965

-37.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 ฿1,852

$35.36 ฿1,187

56.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 ฿3,341

$115 ฿3,876

-13.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,796

$83.7 ฿2,811

-0.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$203 ฿6,808

$626 ฿21.0K

-67.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 ฿4,263

$445 ฿14.9K

-71.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 ฿16.9K

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-75.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ฿11.5K

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-77.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,952 ฿65.5K

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-43.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,458 ฿48.9K

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-43.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 ฿20.2K

$500 ฿16.8K

20.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.96

5.33

49.34%

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

Last update for Udon Thani: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $203 in Udon Thani and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Udon Thani pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Udon Thani vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $289 per month, with Udon Thani 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

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

Udon Thani is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Udon Thani, 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: $203 in Udon Thani versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Udon Thani versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $782 in Udon Thani versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Udon Thani but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Udon Thani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Udon 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, Udon 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 Udon Thani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.