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: $1,103 in Vac versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,758 in Vac versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,412 in Vac versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Vac costs roughly 13% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vac 18% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.78 Ft 2,655

$4.56 ฿149

92.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.01 Ft 13.9K

$46.63 ฿1,519

-1.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 Ft 2,633

$8.47 ฿276

2.72%

Cappuccino

$2.11 Ft 639

$3.03 ฿98.6

-30.36%

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

$1.39 Ft 421

$0.69 ฿22.45

101.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 Ft 314

$0.37 ฿11.92

181.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 Ft 560

$2.49 ฿81.0

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 Ft 694

$3.66 ฿119

-37.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 Ft 319

$2.18 ฿71.0

-51.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 Ft 459

$1.90 ฿62.0

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 553

$2.20 ฿71.6

-16.82%

Eggs

$2.58 Ft 782

$2.22 ฿72.4

16.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 Ft 2,875

$19.99 ฿651

-52.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.89 Ft 1,781

$3.66 ฿119

60.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.75 Ft 3,554

$13.25 ฿432

-11.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 Ft 573

$3.23 ฿105

-41.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 Ft 577

$1.70 ฿55.3

12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 Ft 623

$2.39 ฿78.0

-13.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 Ft 940

$2.08 ฿67.7

49.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 Ft 327

$1.59 ฿51.8

-32.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 Ft 381

$1.48 ฿48.31

-14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 471

$1.03 ฿33.54

51.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Ft 167

$0.52 ฿16.83

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 Ft 2,011

$4.25 ฿138

56.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.33 Ft 1,612

$18.79 ฿612

-71.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 Ft 341

$1.76 ฿57.2

-35.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 Ft 426

$2.76 ฿89.8

-48.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 Ft 357

$1.36 ฿44.32

-13.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.22 Ft 7,631

$11.36 ฿370

122.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 Ft 876

$3.14 ฿102

-7.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 Ft 341

$1.04 ฿33.74

8.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 Ft 5,138

$13.77 ฿448

23.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 Ft 525

$1.34 ฿43.79

29.10%

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

$25.6K Ft 7.7M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-7.54%

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

$31.4K Ft 9.5M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-7.13%

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

$140 Ft 42.4K

$124 ฿4,025

13.49%

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

$26.75 Ft 8,094

$13.52 ฿440

97.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.01 Ft 6,055

$18.69 ฿609

7.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.65 Ft 14.1K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-24.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.83 Ft 5,093

$17.25 ฿562

-2.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 Ft 2,261

$9.14 ฿298

-18.27%

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

$300 Ft 90.7K

$703 ฿22.9K

-57.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,864 Ft 2.1M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-56.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 Ft 21.1K

$59.5 ฿1,937

17.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.54 Ft 8,331

$35.07 ฿1,142

-21.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 Ft 22.9K

$115 ฿3,754

-34.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 Ft 25.7K

$84.1 ฿2,737

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 Ft 131.4K

$619 ฿20.1K

-29.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 Ft 102.7K

$433 ฿14.1K

-21.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 Ft 237.4K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-61.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 Ft 214.9K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-52.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,235 Ft 978.7K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-11.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,436 Ft 737.0K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-7.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,473 Ft 445.5K

$507 ฿16.5K

190.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.4

5.33

38.84%

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

Last update for Vac: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Vac and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 190% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Vac vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $293 per month, with Vac 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

Vac vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vac is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Vac pays 190% more on average, 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: $434 in Vac versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $300 in Vac versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,103 in Vac versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vac but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vac 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, 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 Vac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.