Cost of Living Comparison Between Vac and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Vac and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,329 in Vac versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,280 in Vac versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,232 in Vac versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Vac is roughly 8% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vac 3% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.40 Ft 6,171

$4.41 ฿147

339.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 Ft 36.6K

$32.26 ฿1,077

256.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 Ft 3,086

$8.93 ฿298

8.62%

Cappuccino

$2.39 Ft 760

$2.90 ฿96.6

-17.59%

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

$1.58 Ft 503

$0.88 ฿29.38

79.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 Ft 419

$0.48 ฿16.06

175.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 Ft 711

$2.35 ฿78.5

-4.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 Ft 758

$3.72 ฿124

-36.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 Ft 414

$1.87 ฿62.3

-30.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 Ft 469

$1.47 ฿48.94

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 Ft 740

$1.55 ฿51.8

49.68%

Eggs

$3.28 Ft 1,044

$2.10 ฿70.1

56.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 Ft 2,709

$19.59 ฿654

-56.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 Ft 1,940

$3.42 ฿114

78.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.85 Ft 5,359

$11.38 ฿380

48.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 Ft 607

$2.98 ฿99.6

-35.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 Ft 688

$1.68 ฿56.2

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 672

$2.21 ฿73.7

-4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 762

$2.16 ฿72.1

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 Ft 530

$1.52 ฿50.9

9.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 Ft 373

$1.34 ฿44.67

-12.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 Ft 433

$1.13 ฿37.67

20.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Ft 164

$0.55 ฿18.24

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,479

$4.26 ฿142

82.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 Ft 1,617

$19.09 ฿637

-73.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 Ft 273

$1.78 ฿59.4

-51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 Ft 727

$2.78 ฿92.9

-17.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 Ft 444

$2.23 ฿74.4

-37.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.20 Ft 9,608

$22.74 ฿759

32.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 Ft 954

$3.03 ฿101

-0.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 Ft 512

$1.02 ฿34.15

57.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.80 Ft 5,345

$3.89 ฿130

331.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 Ft 586

$1.49 ฿49.77

23.49%

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

$28.9K Ft 9.2M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

8.59%

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

$40.5K Ft 12.9M

$27.0K ฿902.2K

49.91%

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

$157 Ft 49.9K

$102 ฿3,420

53.20%

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

$25.87 Ft 8,230

$11.33 ฿378

128.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.02 Ft 7,006

$17.40 ฿581

26.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.73 Ft 15.8K

$52.1 ฿1,738

-4.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 Ft 5,518

$11.07 ฿370

56.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.45 Ft 2,688

$7.69 ฿257

9.88%

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

$309 Ft 98.2K

$561 ฿18.7K

-44.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,805 Ft 2.2M

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-40.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 Ft 28.8K

$63.0 ฿2,104

43.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 Ft 10.3K

$29.52 ฿986

9.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 Ft 26.7K

$98.0 ฿3,272

-14.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 Ft 34.7K

$88.5 ฿2,954

23.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$528 Ft 168.1K

$738 ฿24.6K

-28.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 Ft 129.7K

$482 ฿16.1K

-15.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 Ft 275.5K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-58.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 Ft 249.3K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-36.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,145 Ft 1.0M

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-13.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,657 Ft 845.4K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

2.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,438 Ft 457.4K

$494 ฿16.5K

191.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.57

19.75%

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

Last update for Vac: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $528 in Vac and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 191% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $115 in Vac vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $274, with Vac cheaper for home cooking.

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

Vac vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 191% higher in Vac, 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: $528 in Vac versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Vac versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Vac pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,329 in Vac, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vac. 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 Vac, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Vac 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 8% less than in Vac. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.