Cost of living in Phuket

[smallchungus]

I have read it is one of the more expensive places to live in Thailand.  How much more expensive is Phuket than a place like Jomtien or Hua Hin?  Is it even more than Bangkok?

[Old Croc]

If you rent in a tourist area and live as a tourist, it can be expensive.

However, if you settle in a quieter area, not beach front, and live as an expat anywhere else, costs are much the same.  Lotus'''s, Makros, government services, etc. are similar to other areas.   Perhaps not Issan cheap, but reasonable.

There are large populations of Thais and migrant workers there as jobs are plentiful, and they don't live in a different price bracket than similar elsewhere.

Of course, It's no secret transport is a problem in Phuket which is why a large proportion of expats have cars/bikes.

[ChaiyaTH]

This is nonsense of people who just don't really know and then judge places by the tourist area prices. In that case even in Chiang Mai a simple lunch can cost you 300-350B too. In reality I have found more options to get both Thai food as well alcohol cheaper, in the south, simply because there is more business activity there. 

 

Same for what old croc already wrote, most general things are the same price anywhere in Thailand. Also Phuket is huge, plenty of areas where prices are similar to elsewhere in TH. Usually these people are the ones who also hate Bangkok, but never seen more than khao san and sukhumvit soi 11. For Phuket that would then usually be Patong and the like.

 

In the south I can easily have fun all evening and night with my 120B gram weed, a bucket for 200-250 baht, some slice of pizza and local food 2 times at 150B. I can barely move around for that in Bangkok, and in CM it would also only buy me a couple of beers. Simply more options down south / islands.

Edited December 21, 2023 by ChaiyaTH

[smallchungus]

Sounds like I should check it out.  I don't care if I am right on the beach or not so that is fine.

[ChaiyaTH]

Just now, smallchungus said:

Sounds like I should check it out.  I don't care if I am right on the beach or not so that is fine.

That's another of those benefits being down south, sometimes you just grab a beer from 7/11 as chilling on the beach is just fine.

[freeworld]

1 hour ago, smallchungus said:

I have read it is one of the more expensive places to live in Thailand.  How much more expensive is Phuket than a place like Jomtien or Hua Hin?  Is it even more than Bangkok?

Depends on your lifestyle and what you need to live, eat and be entertained.

 

Regular frequenting dens of iniquity is quite costly.

 

Of course Phuket is a happy touristic place and there is lots to do so will cost you more.

Edited December 21, 2023 by freeworld

[Mike Lister]

We live in CM but visited Phuket some months ago. We found the place more expensive and we lived there for five years, fifteen years ago, If you know where to go and where to eat, all these places can be broadly similar but some places are harder to find cheaper eateries than others.

[smallchungus]

Are there many houses to rent with a yard or is it mostly condos and apartments?

[oldcpu]

2 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

We live in CM but visited Phuket some months ago. We found the place more expensive and we lived there for five years, fifteen years ago, If you know where to go and where to eat, all these places can be broadly similar but some places are harder to find cheaper eateries than others.

 

Agree.

 

Still, as you point out, after one lives here in Phuket for a while, one gets to know where to find inexpensive places for most things, and it can be mostly comparable to most other provinces.  Having a Thai spouse makes a world of difference, in finding those places. 

 

I think thou, for one without a Thai spouse, and without the extra time to 'learn the ropes', Phuket is more expensive.   I've been living in Phuket for many years and I like the province, but I have a Thai spouse, which for certain makes things easier for me.

 

For certain, I do not believe one lives in Phuket,  if one is looking for the least expensive cost of living.

.

[LosLobo]

I lived in Phuket for almost a decade and a lot of other places in Thailand and I found that the cost of living was not much different overall, if you owned a car.

 

The only remarkable differences in Phuket generally were the taxi prices and the added freight/transportation costs.

 

Because of lack of public transport and taxi prices there I found having a car essential whereas in Pattaya, Hua Hin and a lesser degree in Bangkok not so much.

 

Makro prices in Phuket say compared to Hua Hin were about 10% more, obviously due to the proximity of Bangkok.

 

Patong was an exception where the accommodation and the take-away food chains like McDonalds etc added a hefty premium.

[London Lowf]

7 hours ago, smallchungus said:

Are there many houses to rent with a yard or is it mostly condos and apartments?

 

Away from Patong I would say that there are plenty of houses - I rent an apartment in Kamala (half of a raised house with a gated yard) and this is a typical local property. However, it is very rare to see a For Sale/For Rent sign around here now - a year ago there were plenty of empty properties. Russians have arrived in great numbers and have really boosted the property market to the delight of the locals! They are desperate and will pay anything.

[oldcpu]

There are websites where one can enter cities, and the websites will give detailed cost comparisons of two cities, with a summary, and also a large list, comparing the average price of different options.

 

For example, numbeo.com website allows one to enter different cities in Thailand to compare, where I think one will see that in Phuket, on average, that rent is more expensive than other places in Thailand.  Restaurants in Phuket also tend to be more expensive than other places in Thailand.   ... My Thai wife and I mostly eat at home, and we own our own place, so those two aspects are not issues for us.  

 

Anyway, from numbeo (and there are other websites that also give such comparisons in price for the cost of living):

 

When comparing Phuket to Bangkok:
- You would need around 112,886.8฿ in Bangkok to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 110,000.0฿ in Phuket (assuming you rent in both cities).
- Consumer Prices in Bangkok are 10.6% higher than in Phuket (without rent)
- Consumer Prices Including Rent in Bangkok are 2.6% higher than in Phuket
- Rent Prices in Bangkok are 13.4% lower than in Phuket
- Restaurant Prices in Bangkok are 15.4% lower than in Phuket
- Groceries Prices in Bangkok are 14.7% higher than in Phuket
- Local Purchasing Power in Bangkok is 12.8% higher than in Phuket

 

When comparing Phuket to Pattaya:
- You would need around 91,661.2฿ in Pattaya to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 110,000.0฿ in Phuket (assuming you rent in both cities).
- Consumer Prices in Pattaya are 3.1% lower than in Phuket (without rent)
- Consumer Prices Including Rent in Pattaya are 16.7% lower than in Phuket
- Rent Prices in Pattaya are 43.9% lower than in Phuket
- Restaurant Prices in Pattaya are 12.5% lower than in Phuket
- Groceries Prices in Pattaya are 11.3% higher than in Phuket
- Local Purchasing Power in Pattaya is 1.8% higher than in Phuket

 

Phuket to Hua Hin
- You would need around 78,075.2฿ in Hua Hin to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 110,000.0฿ in Phuket (assuming you rent in both cities).
- Consumer Prices in Hua Hin are 17.1% lower than in Phuket (without rent)
- Consumer Prices Including Rent in Hua Hin are 29.0% lower than in Phuket
- Rent Prices in Hua Hin are 53.0% lower than in Phuket
- Restaurant Prices in Hua Hin are 18.9% lower than in Phuket
- Groceries Prices in Hua Hin are 6.5% lower than in Phuket
- Local Purchasing Power in Hua Hin is 57.7% higher than in Phuket

When comparing Phuket and Chiang Mai:
- You would need around 78,290.6฿ in Chiang Mai to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 110,000.0฿ in Phuket (assuming you rent in both cities).
- Consumer Prices in Chiang Mai are 16.0% lower than in Phuket (without rent)
- Consumer Prices Including Rent in Chiang Mai are 28.8% lower than in Phuket
- Rent Prices in Chiang Mai are 54.8% lower than in Phuket
- Restaurant Prices in Chiang Mai are 40.9% lower than in Phuket
- Groceries Prices in Chiang Mai are 4.7% lower than in Phuket
- Local Purchasing Power in Chiang Mai is 36.7% higher than in Phuket

 

When comparing Phuket and Chiang Rai
- You would need around 69,650.1฿ in Chiang Rai to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 110,000.0฿ in Phuket (assuming you rent in both cities).
- Consumer Prices in Chiang Rai are 23.9% lower than in Phuket (without rent)
- Consumer Prices Including Rent in Chiang Rai are 36.7% lower than in Phuket
- Rent Prices in Chiang Rai are 62.5% lower than in Phuket
- Restaurant Prices in Chiang Rai are 45.7% lower than in Phuket
- Groceries Prices in Chiang Rai are 14.5% lower than in Phuket
- Local Purchasing Power in Chiang Rai is 9.2% lower than in Phuket

 

That is according to numbeo.com web site on cost of living - but in truth, I am  a bit skeptical as to its accuracy. (I think it makes Phuket look more expensive than it can be in practice).   I still say that a little local knowledge goes a long ways in Phuket, and one can find ways to keep one's costs down in Phuket to be mostly more comparable to other provinces. 

 

Although I will re-iterate, if one is looking for the least expensive place to live in Thailand, the for certain one does not move to Phuket.

.

[oldcpu]

7 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

There are websites where one can enter cities, and the websites will give detailed cost comparisons of two cities, with a summary, and also a large list, comparing the average price of different options.

 

Another such site to get such comparisons, is expatistan.com:

 

In summary it states:
- Cost of living in Phuket (Thailand) is 10% cheaper than in Bangkok (Thailand)
- Cost of living in Phuket (Thailand) is 15% more expensive than in Pattaya (Thailand)
- Cost of living in Phuket (Thailand) is 7% more expensive than in Hua Hin (Thailand)
- Cost of living in Phuket (Thailand) is 14% more expensive than in Chiang Mai (Thailand)
- Cost of living in Phuket (Thailand) is 48% more expensive than in Chiang Rai (Thailand)

 

and one can get more detail if one goes to the site and enters the two different cities that one wishes to compare.

 

I think one needs to take such information with a grain of salt - for as I stated before, local knowledge can go a long ways to reducing costs.

[KhunLA]

location location location ... supply & demand, will always dictate prices...worldwide.

[dhupverg]

13 hours ago, London Lowf said:

 

Away from Patong I would say that there are plenty of houses - I rent an apartment in Kamala (half of a raised house with a gated yard) and this is a typical local property. However, it is very rare to see a For Sale/For Rent sign around here now - a year ago there were plenty of empty properties. Russians have arrived in great numbers and have really boosted the property market to the delight of the locals! They are desperate and will pay anything.

To expand on the Russian influence in the market, my niece just bought a new studio condo in Phuket Town.  She is renting it out to Russians for 13K/mo for a 35 sqm unit. She said she got a lot of inquiries for the place before deciding on who to rent to. Phuket Town used to be cheap, but now all the lower income foreigners are moving there as coastal areas for new condos are quite pricey. The banks are offering financing for first time buyers, so for the first two years, her loan payment is 5K/month, then after 2 years it goes up to 10K/mo, so she is happy making 8K/mo right now.

[Celsius]

How about turtle beach and you can join Steve Rossee for some very exciting vlogs

[ChaiyaTH]

21 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

We live in CM but visited Phuket some months ago. We found the place more expensive and we lived there for five years, fifteen years ago, If you know where to go and where to eat, all these places can be broadly similar but some places are harder to find cheaper eateries than others.

Wow sherlock, must been a shocker to find out the prices were not the same as 15 years ago lol

[thrilled]

I spend about a million baht in Thailand annually. Doesn’t make a difference where. That also includes traveling

[surfinglife]

Bring plenty of roubles and brush up on your Russian!

[London Lowf]

10 hours ago, dhupverg said:

To expand on the Russian influence in the market, my niece just bought a new studio condo in Phuket Town.  She is renting it out to Russians for 13K/mo for a 35 sqm unit. She said she got a lot of inquiries for the place before deciding on who to rent to. Phuket Town used to be cheap, but now all the lower income foreigners are moving there as coastal areas for new condos are quite pricey. The banks are offering financing for first time buyers, so for the first two years, her loan payment is 5K/month, then after 2 years it goes up to 10K/mo, so she is happy making 8K/mo right now.

 

As a primarily ex-pat/tourist forum we naturally focus on how it effects us, but I wonder about the locals. I know that many of the Patong bar workers live in Phuket Town because they cannot afford to live in Patong, or even Kathu. I would imagine that the above-mentioned condo was rented to a Thai at 5/6,000 a year ago - it must be hitting them hard and they cannot afford these new prices.

 

[pest]

12 hours ago, dhupverg said:

To expand on the Russian influence in the market, my niece just bought a new studio condo in Phuket Town.  She is renting it out to Russians for 13K/mo for a 35 sqm unit. She said she got a lot of inquiries for the place before deciding on who to rent to. Phuket Town used to be cheap, but now all the lower income foreigners are moving there as coastal areas for new condos are quite pricey. The banks are offering financing for first time buyers, so for the first two years, her loan payment is 5K/month, then after 2 years it goes up to 10K/mo, so she is happy making 8K/mo right now.

How much did she pay for the condo?

Cheers

[oldcpu]

2 hours ago, London Lowf said:

 

.... but I wonder about the locals. I know that many of the Patong bar workers live in Phuket Town because they cannot afford to live in Patong, or even Kathu.

 

 

That comment, asking about the locals, brought memories of Whistler BC Canada.  Many of the locals who work in the resort of Whistler BC, Canada can't afford to live there ... so they live in Squamish BC, Canada.  They drive (or in many cases share a drive) back/forth from Squamish to Whistler every working day - about a 50-minute drive on a highway (in good weather conditions).  When weather conditions are bad, it takes much longer. Sometimes the road is closed due to weather.  Some live in Pemberton BC, which is a bit closer, but also can have bad weather conditions trying to drive to Whistler, with a 30 minute drive if they are lucky, and often much much longer to drive to Whistler.

 

I'm not saying ideal - Far from it.  Its not good.  But sadly, that is the way it often is in this world, in regards to tourist resorts - and Phuket (and Patong) is no different in this regard - where local workers often can not afford the accommodation in the area close to where they need to work.

Edited December 22, 2023 by oldcpu

[ibjoe]

My experience living in Chalong area of Phuket was not expensive. ~฿1200 / night for very nice hotel room. ~฿3000 / month for small apartment. ~฿250 / day for motorbike rental. Street food is cheap, less than ~฿100 for a meal. And of course Lotus, Super Cheap, etc. stores are all there. Beaches (Rawai, Kata, etc.) are typically less than thirty minute motorbike ride away.

[London Lowf]

1 hour ago, ibjoe said:

My experience living in Chalong area of Phuket was not expensive. ~฿1200 / night for very nice hotel room. ~฿3000 / month for small apartment. ~฿250 / day for motorbike rental. Street food is cheap, less than ~฿100 for a meal. And of course Lotus, Super Cheap, etc. stores are all there. Beaches (Rawai, Kata, etc.) are typically less than thirty minute motorbike ride away.

 

You write in the past tense - when was it that you stayed in Chalong.

[gomangosteen]

4 hours ago, ibjoe said:

My experience living in Chalong area of Phuket was not expensive. ~฿1200 / night for very nice hotel room. ~฿3000 / month for small apartment. ~฿250 / day for motorbike rental. Street food is cheap, less than ~฿100 for a meal. And of course Lotus, Super Cheap, etc. stores are all there. Beaches (Rawai, Kata, etc.) are typically less than thirty minute motorbike ride away.

Chalong - how long ago?

 

We've stayed in contact with owners of the bungalow we rented for 8500b until 2009 on Soi Yodsane, Chalong; current monthly rental 21,000b - big increase recently from 18,000 a year ago, a case of supply and demand in 2023.

 

I had a hired motorbike back then from a place in Rawai @ 3000b / month. 

 

 

 

[ibjoe]

Good point. I stayed at different places in Chalong during this calendar year, most recently about a month ago. My Thai wife found our various rentals.

[Datsun 1200]

hi All,

 

I just got back from Chiang Mai and the costs were half of Phuket.

One example, taxi from Airport to YMCA Hotel about 25 min = 150 baht.

In Phuket I would cost 150 baht to go 3km. Hotels/food etc = half 

 

Ian H

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, Datsun 1200 said:

taxi from Airport to YMCA Hotel about 25 min = 150 baht.

In Phuket I would cost 150 baht to go 3km.

You seem to be comparing apples (minutes) and oranges (km's)!

What is the cost for the same distance or the same time?

[oldcpu]

On 12/23/2023 at 3:33 PM, Datsun 1200 said:

I just got back from Chiang Mai and the costs were half of Phuket.

One example, taxi from Airport to YMCA Hotel about 25 min = 150 baht.

In Phuket I would cost 150 baht to go 3km. Hotels/food etc = half

 

 

Taxi costs has always been something Phuket should be ashamed of.  The "taxi mafia" (as the expression goes) in Phuket have inflated taxi prices for years.    I suspect other factors are more representative in regards to Chiang Mai being less expensive.

 

I tend to agree with the 'numbeo' website assessment that the big differences between Phuket and Chiang Mai prices are rental prices, and restaurant prices (where Phuket is about (more or less) to being 2x more expensive).   I also tend to agree with an assessment that in most cases (Taxi, rental accommodation, and restaurant meals excluded) that Chiang Mai is 75% to 85% of the nominal Phuket prices.

[zzzzz]

if one lives here, 1 seldom takes a taxi>  past year i have not been in 1 taxi

LIVING here eating out 1-2x/week, renting 2 bedroom house, Kamala
30-35,000 baht for 2 of us
we DONT drink in Bars!!!!

VS  Pattaya maybe 10-15% more at most
CM doesn't have a beach so u pay a bit more

FYI: Samui is more expensive

Edited December 26, 2023 by zzzzz