Edition 9 September 2026
Phuket
A basic month in Phuket runs $1,045. A comfortable one runs $2,470. Both are totals for one person, all in, including rent, at the rates of 8 September 2026.
High-season rents bite
- A basic month
- $1,045
- A comfortable month
- $2,470
- Visa
- DTV, 5 yrs
- Public transport
- None
- Air
- Clean
Who Phuket suits, and who it does not
Choose Phuket if you want beaches with a hospital, an airport and international schools behind them. That combination barely exists anywhere else in Southeast Asia at this price. At the comfortable budget of THB 81,200 a month ($2,470) you get a new one-bedroom on the west coast, you eat well, and the airport is half an hour away.
Do not choose Phuket if any of the following describes you.
- You will not drive.
- You want to walk to things.
- You are buying a villa you might need to sell within five years.
- You want the cheapest Thailand.
- You need to work for a Thai employer or take Thai clients.
The guide gives the reason behind each one, with its figures.
Where people actually live
- Bang Tao, Laguna and Cherngtalay
- Kamala and Surin
- Patong and Kalim
- Kathu
- Phuket Town, Old Town and Wichit
- Chalong, Rawai and Nai Harn
- Cape Panwa and Ao Yon
- Mai Khao and Nai Yang
The rest of the city
Compare Phuket
Thailand rules
Other cities in Thailand: Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Bangkok, Koh Samui
Edition 9 September 2026. Every figure carries the date it was true and the source it came from. We last changed this page on 21 September 2026.