Phuket Cost of Living: Monthly Budgets Line by Line
A lean month for one person is THB 30,511.88. A comfortable month is THB 53,236.89. Two adults with a child in BISP Year 1 spend THB 141,471.89. Rent is the biggest line, and the rent figures are city-wide, not prices for a single area.
On this page
Every figure here carries a source tag, and each total is a sum of tagged lines. Rent, food and transport come from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced site, and they are city-wide, not area prices.
Three monthly budgets
| Line | Lean, one person | Comfortable, one person | Family of three |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | THB 15,600.00 | THB 24,466.67 | THB 40,525.00 |
| Utilities | THB 3,299.62 | THB 3,299.62 | THB 3,299.62 |
| Internet | THB 577.26 | THB 577.26 | THB 577.26 |
| Mobile | THB 376.67 | THB 376.67 | THB 753.34 |
| Food | THB 9,000.00 | THB 16,267.5 | THB 27,000.00 |
| Transport | THB 1,000.00 | THB 5,500.00 | THB 5,500.00 |
| Fitness | none | THB 1,757.50 | none |
| Health insurance | THB 658.33 | THB 991.67 | THB 1,316.67 |
| School | none | none | THB 62,500.00 |
| Total | THB 30,511.88 | THB 53,236.89 | THB 141,471.89 |
The lean and comfortable columns are for one person. The family column is two adults and one child in BISP Year 1.
How each line was priced
Rent
A one-bedroom is THB 24,466.67 in the city centre and THB 15,600.00 outside it. A three-bedroom outside the centre is THB 40,525.00.
These are city-wide averages from 479 entries by 41 contributors, updated on 15 October 2026. Phuket’s beach areas and Phuket Town are not priced separately here. For lease rules, read renting an apartment in Phuket.
Electricity, water and internet
The PEA residential tariff for use above 150 units a month is THB 3.0000 per unit for units 0-200, then THB 4.1584 for units 201-400. The service charge, the Ft charge and VAT come on top.
The budget uses THB 3,299.62 for basic utilities in an apartment, which covers electricity, cooling, water and garbage. Broadband is THB 577.26.
Phone
A monthly plan with calls and 10GB+ data is THB 376.67. A visitor can buy a 30-day tourist SIM for 1,199 Baht instead. For counters and registration, read Phuket SIM cards.
Food
The lean budget is two inexpensive restaurant meals a day at THB 150 each, for a month. The comfortable budget is one mid-range meal a day at half of THB 1,084.50, the price for two. The family budget is three people at two inexpensive meals a day.
Transport
The lean budget is twenty rides on the Smart Bus Route 2 at the 50 baht flat fare. The comfortable and family budgets use twenty taxi rides of five kilometres, at a THB 100 start and THB 35 per kilometre. For options, read getting around Phuket and Grab vs Bolt.
Scooter and fuel
If you ride a scooter instead of taking taxis, a Honda Click 125 rents for THB 4,000 a month at low-season rates. Another operator asks THB 5,000 a month plus a THB 3,000 deposit.
Rates rise from November to April by THB 50 to 100 a day. Gasohol 95 costs THB 41.44 a litre, so a month with ten litres of fuel is THB 4,414.4.
The shops ask for a motorcycle licence plus an international driving permit. For the licence rules, read the Thai driving licence guide.
Airport arrival
The Smart Bus from the airport to Rawai is a 100 baht flat fare. The limousine counter charges THB 800 to Patong in a Taxi car and THB 1,000 to Kata or Karon. Both are one-off costs for the first day.
Health insurance
Chubb Samaggi’s long-stay plan carries inpatient cover from THB 400,000. Its net premium for ages 18-50 is THB 7,900 a year on Plan 1 and THB 11,900 on Plan 3. The budget spreads these over twelve months. For visa insurance rules and hospital billing, read health insurance for expats in Phuket.
School
BISP tuition for Year 1 is THB 750,000 a year, which is THB 62,500.00 a month. UWC Thailand charges THB 753,500 for Grade 1 to 5. QSI Phuket charges US$15,100 a year for ages 5 to 13.
One-off placement and application fees are extra. For the full list, read international school fees in Phuket.
Gym
A monthly fitness club membership is THB 1,757.50.
What changes the total
Rent moves the total most, and the city-wide figures hide the gap between the centre and the outskirts. Taking the centre one-bedroom instead of the outside-centre one raises the total by the gap between the two rents. For a local account to pay in baht, read opening a bank account in Phuket.
Not confirmed: Rent by area: no dated listing source for Patong, Kata, Rawai or Phuket Town was read, so rent is Numbeo's city-wide centre and outside figures. Food, transport and fitness prices are crowd-sourced. The family budget leaves out one-off school fees and a child's insurance.
Common questions
How much money do I need per month in Phuket?
A lean month for one person is THB 30,511.88. A comfortable one is THB 53,236.89. Both are sums of the lines below.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Phuket?
The city centre is THB 24,466.67 and outside it THB 15,600.00. These are city-wide figures, not area prices.
What does electricity cost?
The PEA residential tariff for use above 150 units a month is THB 3.0000 per unit for units 0-200, then THB 4.1584 for units 201-400. The service charge, the Ft charge and VAT come on top. Basic utilities for an apartment are THB 3,299.62.
How much is a tourist SIM?
A 30-day tourist SIM is 1,199 Baht.
What does a Phuket Smart Bus ride cost?
Route 2 from Bus Terminal 2 to Patong Beach is a 50 baht flat fare.
How much is a school place?
BISP tuition for Year 1 is THB 750,000 a year. UWC Thailand charges THB 753,500 for Grade 1 to 5. QSI Phuket charges US$15,100 a year for ages 5 to 13.
What does a scooter cost per month in Phuket?
A Honda Click 125 is THB 4,000 to THB 5,000 a month, and a month with ten litres of fuel is THB 4,414.4 at the lower rate.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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Comments (8)
MASTER_OF_DUNK
Spending in Phuket is really dependent on your lifestyle. To give you an idea, what I was paying for a studio in London gets me a nice 3bdr house here. So you're not necessarily saving money since you'll end up spending more, but you'll have a higher quality of life due to the higher purchasing power you get. If you want to have a private swimming pool it gets pricier though. 30-60k is probably a good ballpark to be in. When it comes to food, if you want to eat western food at reasonable prices on the daily (steaks, bread etc), you'd better pick up cooking as a hobby imo. Thai food is really affordable though. For restaurants and takeaway you'll find all prices and all types, so you can be on a budget. I personally stuff my freezer with bulk-ordered high quality meat, would recommend. Sports : There's a ton of people who are into gym, muaythai, paddle, tennis etc Not my expertise but you'll have a lot of options for sports/gym. Some condos/houses have gym memberships or free gym/other spots so you could consider that while looking for accomodations. Transport, this is quite expensive. Public transport is getting better but nowhere good enough compared to Europe standard, and taxis/apps are ridiculously expensive. You have to rent/buy a car if you live here imo. Wouldn't recommend a bike, driving is extremely unsafe in Thailand. That being said, many people decide to use bikes anyways. I personally bought an EV car. The entry level Chinese EV are around 400-500k. Double or triple that if you want something cool or flashy. Nightlife/dates. You have some laid back options (not as many as Bangkok). Like you can enjoy an imported beer or a good cocktail, or go in local cheap bars. Red light district and nightclubs are money sinks. If you have the option to visit for an extended period before committing, I'd recommend that. (Phuket has a great international airport, so it's also good as a base if you are exploring other countries) Good luck
KwickMark
I’ve lived on 200k very comfortably and have a similar lifestyle to you (I’m 66). I now live on 50k per month and live comfortably on that too! Once you’ve lived here for a while, you learn how to live frugally. Not quite as cheap as a local (I need my AC!), but still live a great lifestyle.
Land_of_smiles
For each month: 20-40k for a 2 bedroom. 20-30k for food and drinks 10-15k to rent a car 100k to buy a scooter 2000-4000 per month for a decent gym membership Mileage may vary
NoDefinition1041
Is this monthly budget possible in Phuket? I’m sorry for another cost of living post, I read there’s a lot of them. I know it’s highly dependent on the person so I’ve tried to break it down. Accommodation is provided in Cherngtalay, visa and health care are paid for too. I’m a single guy who lives quite simply and doesn’t have a very expensive lifestyle. I work out at home. I’d be on 90000baht a month but would like to save half of that. Food and groceries: 15000 I mainly just cook at home because I’m veggie. Street food maybe on the weekends. Fuel: 1000 I’d be buying a scooter once I arrive. Utilities: 4000 Socialising and miscellaneous: 10000 Going for a couple of beers once a week, if that. Not a clubber or interested in fancy restaurants and bars really. Cheap and cheerful does me. Phone: 700 You hear so many conflicting things about Phuket it’s hard to tell! Hoping to get some helpful insights :)
PJBakesCookies
I'm a Thai resident of Phuket, and 90,000 is more than enough. You can even move down to the south and spend half on pretty much everything besides the phone bill. I'm not currently home, but I've seen it change
Livid-Direction-1102
Not sure what the tax rate is but you can easily save on that salary. 45000 might be a bit farfetched but a third should be fairly easy. Where you stay will also make a difference as people say. Imported veggies and fruit are very expensive but local markets are very cheap. However pesticides are used however I don't think it is as bad as some other Asian countries.
CraigLawrie92
I’m on a similar salary (although my accomodation is not covered) and I live a similar lifestyle to you. I shop at Makro and cook the majority of my meals. I have a 35k / month mortgage, spend about 8k per month on food, and about 5k per month on gas for my car, and 350 baht on phone bill. Add in odd extra purchases and whatnot and I still manage to save about 20k per month. I think your goal is reasonable considering your accomodation is paid for. As others have said this is very lifestyle dependent.
Sea-Rover
Absolutely enough. Your food budget is too much. You can easily live with half of that especially if you are cooking at home. So with 45k (after saving), no rent to pay u will definitely have enough money left and can go out drinking atleast once a week and have a good night