How much does it cost to live in Phuket?
Typical Month (Mid Range)
$1,559 (THB 51,962)
Housing, food, transport, mobile, coworking and gym.
Updated September 2026 · Sources cited: fazwaz.com, dotproperty.co.th
- Typical Month (Lower End)
- $652 (THB 21,737)
- Typical Month (Premium)
- $3,556 (THB 118,542)
Good to know
Good to Know
- Phuket has no rail transit, so nearly every nomad ends up renting a scooter or car regardless of neighborhood — factor this into your monthly budget.
- Direct (non-serviced) condo rentals typically require a deposit of two months' rent plus the first month upfront, so budget a meaningful lump sum in cash before you even start paying monthly rent.
- Electricity is usually billed separately from rent and can add a large variable cost depending on air-conditioning use — budget roughly 1,500-4,000 THB extra per month for this.
- Listed 'median' rents from big property portals can look higher than what most nomads actually pay because they blend in luxury pool villas and annual-lease-only units; a real month-to-month furnished condo or studio in Rawai, Chalong or Old Town is commonly available well below those portal medians.
- Rawai/Nai Harn is the classic long-stay expat/nomad base with a strong community and beach access, but it is genuinely remote from major shopping, pharmacies and hospitals compared to more central areas.
- Coworking prices vary a lot by location: budget spots in Rawai/Nai Harn run far cheaper than the newer, more polished spaces around Bang Tao/Cherng Talay in the north.
- Phuket has no metro or unified bus pass system - most nomads get around by scooter rental, Grab/Bolt, or shared songthaew trucks, so budget for scooter rental/fuel rather than a transit pass.
- The DTV visa requires 500,000 THB sitting in your account for at least 3 months before applying, plus (since 31 August 2026) a police clearance certificate - plan well ahead of your application date.
- The DTV's second 180-day extension is discretionary, not automatic, so some long-stayers still plan a border exit/re-entry rather than relying on the in-country extension.
Monthly Totals
- Mid-range month
- THB 51,962
Includes 6 estimated components
- Lean month
- THB 21,737
Includes 5 estimated components
- Comfortable month
- THB 118,542
Includes 7 estimated components
Living Costs
- Where nomads live
- Rawai and Nai Harn on Phuket's south tip are the primary long-stay nomad/expat cluster with cafes and a freelancer community; Phuket Old Town is a fast-growing walkable nomad hub with strong cafe culture; Chalong is the practical mid-priced/central option; Bang Tao/Cherngtalay (near the Laguna complex) is the higher-end, resort-style zone favored by nomads earning in USD/EUR.
Housing (per month)
- Mid-range 1-bed
- THB 30,000
Local listing
FazWaz live listing: 1-Bedroom Condo at The Title Rawai, 43 sqm, 30,000 THB/month, fully furnished.
- Budget studio / 1-bed
- THB 13,000
Local listing
Dot Property live listing: 'Condo Plus 2 for Rent Price 13,000 THB, 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom' with common pool & gym, Chalong area, fully furnished.
- Premium apartment
- THB 80,000
Local listing
Thailand-Property live listing: fully furnished 2-bedroom pool villa in Rawai, 384 sqm, long-term rent 80,000 THB/month, utilities included.
- Private room in a shared home
- THB 9,000
Estimated
No dedicated 'private room in shared home' listings were found for Phuket (co-living/room-share is not a common distinct market here as in some SE Asian hubs); estimated from the low end of studio/shared-pool listings in Rawai (e.g. studios advertised from ~8,000 THB) as a proxy.
Groceries
- Groceries for one (month)
- THB 9,000
Estimated
Estimated from a Phuket-specific 2026 food-budget guide stating a realistic monthly food budget of 8,000-12,000 THB for someone eating mostly Thai food; adjusted downward toward the low end to isolate a grocery-only (cooking at home) estimate rather than a mixed grocery+dining figure.
Sample prices
1L Milk
- 1L Milk
- THB 50
Survey / cost-of-living site
Hawook Phuket living-costs guide, citing Numbeo-sourced figures: 'A liter of milk costs around 50 THB'.
Loaf of White Bread
- Loaf Of White Bread
- THB 35
Survey / cost-of-living site
Hawook Phuket living-costs guide: 'a loaf of (wonder white style) bread is 35 THB'.
Bottled Water, 1.5L (Supermarket)
- Bottled Water, 1.5L (Supermarket)
- THB 15
Estimated
No single retrieved source stated this exact figure; estimated as a typical Thai supermarket price for a 1.5L bottle.
Dozen Eggs
- Dozen Eggs
- THB 70
Estimated
No single retrieved source stated this exact figure; estimated based on typical Thai supermarket pricing.
Eating out
- Cheap meal
- THB 53
Estimated
Midpoint taken from Phuket-specific guide stating 'a plate of noodles or rice from a local shop or market runs 50 to 80 THB'; picking a midpoint from a range makes this an estimate. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 70 THB reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
- High-end meal
- THB 3,500
Estimated
Midpoint of a Phuket cost guide's range for a full resort/fine-dining meal: 'Resort meals: THB 2,000-5,000 full meal'; midpoint of a range makes this an estimate.
- Mid-range meal
- THB 338
Estimated
Midpoint of the same guide's range: 'Western restaurant mains typically cost 300 to 600 THB'; midpoint of a range makes this an estimate. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 450 THB reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
Work, Transport & Essentials
Coworking
Transport
- About monthly passes
- Phuket has no unified public transit system and no formal monthly transit pass; most residents and nomads use scooters, ride-hailing apps (Grab/Bolt), or shared songthaew trucks paid per ride.
- Single ride
- THB 30
Estimated
Estimated typical flat fare for a short in-town songthaew (shared truck-taxi) ride; not confirmed against a live fare source at the time of research.
Mobile & data
- Monthly plan
- THB 450
Estimated
Estimated mid-tier prepaid plan from a major Thai carrier (AIS/dtac/True) with several GB of data; not verified against a current live carrier price page at the time of research.
Short Stays (per night)
- Seasonal pricing
- Yes
- Why
- Phuket has a pronounced dry/high season (November–April) with measurably higher accommodation demand and rates, contrasting with a wet/low season (May–October) when prices drop significantly due to monsoon weather, rougher seas, and reduced international tourism.
Low season
- Budget
- THB 600
2-star hotels (Alike.io budget 600-1,200 THB range, low end for Jun-Aug monsoon; implied from seasonal 50% discount noted in Bangkok Post Phuket data)
- Luxury
- THB 5,500
5-star hotels (Booking.com $176 average all-season; Tripadvisor Jun-Aug period $133 all-hotels, 5-star premium; Q2 2025 upscale average THB 7,104; low-season ~40-50% reduction on high-season peak)
- Premium
- THB 2,800
4-star hotels (Booking.com $76 average; Trip.com April $124 blended, 4-star lower; Tripadvisor Jun-Aug $133 all-hotels; low-season ~45-50% of high season per seasonal data)
- Standard
- THB 1,500
3-star hotels (Trip.com April shoulder $124; Tripadvisor Jun-Aug $133; KAYAK Aug cheapest $164; BudgetYourTrip median $33, placing mid-season ~$40-50 range for 3-star)
High season
- Budget
- THB 1,200
2-star hotels (mid-range of Dec-Jan rates from Alike.io, hotel booking searches showing $15 average budget floors, KAYAK/Booking reporting $11-28 for 3-star; budget tier positioned lower)
- Luxury
- THB 12,000
5-star hotels Dec-Jan rates (Nation Thailand Dec 24-Jan 5 peak: 10,000-20,000 THB; Alike.io luxury range 10,000-25,000 THB; Booking.com $176 average, weekend $301; BudgetYourTrip $278 high season for luxury tier; Trip.com $272 weekend 5-star)
- Premium
- THB 6,000
4-star hotels (Trip.com weekend $131; Booking.com $76 average; high-season multiplier ~2.1x low-season; BudgetYourTrip highest-rated hotels $99 high season)
- Standard
- THB 3,000
3-star hotels (Booking.com $46 average all-season; Trip.com Dec peak $224 blended across star ratings, 3-star high-season ~$75; BudgetYourTrip $75 high season for mid-range)
Low-season months
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
High-season months
- November
- December
- January
- February
- March
- April
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this cost of living research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Phuket
Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.