The cost of living in Phuket
I wrote about the cost of living in Bangkok a while ago, so I thought I’d share my thoughts about the cost of living in Phuket now that I’ve been here for a few months. I have always heard about how expensive a place Phuket is to live in, but I don’t know how people get this information because, for me at least, it’s been nothing of the sort.
Rent
Rent is my biggest expenditure of the month. My monthly rent is 5,000 baht, which includes cable TV (that I don’t use) and a fridge (that I haven’t plugged in yet). My electricity is usually about 400 baht and my water bill this month was 10 baht. So that’s about 5,500 baht. My room has air con, although I don’t use it (you don’t need to).
You can rent a two-bedroom townhouse for about 4,000 baht, but I’m dubious about how safe your belongings would be if you were to do so. Typical apartments tend to go for between 4,000 and 7,500 baht. Most places offer the Internet in one form or another. I have wireless for 299 baht a month, but I actually get it for free because I complained so much that it used to never work.
Food
I typically spend up to 200 baht a day on food. The cost of eating in Phuket is no different to Bangkok unless you eat in the areas popular with tourists, such as Patong. There is less street food here, but there are more than enough places where you can eat for under 100 baht. I have two plates of kao man gai for lunch every day for 60 baht. If I’m eating out with friends then maybe the bill will come to 200 baht each, but rarely any more than that unless we’re eating at Oishi or somewhere.
Going out
I don’t go out and party half as much as I used to. I only really go into town on Fridays and Saturdays. A night out here can cost the same as in Bangkok, but I’m lucky (I guess it’s lucky) in that my friends here don’t drink anywhere near as much as friends in Bangkok. We still sometimes go out and party until 5 am, but I can usually remember how I got home.
Other expenditure
I don’t buy anything. I wrote before about how people seem to give me T-shirts. Other things I’ve acquired include a fan, all my bedding, my pillows, a brush, a clothes bin and a waste-paper basket. I don’t know how these things find me but they do. It’s usually when people feel sorry for me and give me stuff. I really don’t go shopping any more. I think it’s partly down to my obsession with saving money and partly because with the internet, I have most things I want at my fingertips.
In total, I’d say that I spend maybe 17,000 baht a month, give or take a couple of thousand. This is great because it means I can still save money in Thailand. More freelance work has been gradually trickling in and I’m starting to make money online, so if it keeps up at this rate, I should be able to retire by the time I’m 750 years old! Way to go me.
September 10th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Sadly, my house is not in Phuket, otherwise, I might take you in. You would not have to pay anything at all, apart from buying a lunch for yourself. Rent would be zero. Breakfast and dinner are also provided without charge. On top of that, there would be someone who would do the laundry for you every day!
It sounds nice, doesn’t it?!
September 10th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
You’ve seen Misery, the movie, right?
September 10th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
well…if you earn i dollar, euro, pound sterling..life in Phuket and other SEA alike is peanuts :)
September 11th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Damn you live cheap!
Rent: 40k
food: anywhere between 500 and 4k a day depending on who i entertain
going out: cheap night, 5k, expensive night, 20k
Then again it’s not like London, where spanking 800 pounds on one night out is easily done
:)
October 28th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
hi there, thanks for the blog information, useful, we are coming to Phuket for the first time in a few weeks to compete in the Kings Cup regatta held near Kata. We have splashed out on a Guest House rather than stay on the boat, £550 bht between us per night (without aircon) which I guess is ok for a tourist rate….we were wondering about how much the food costs etc. so your blog is useful….couple of questions though if you have time….What is the real scoop on getting round on a scooter….is it reasonably safe if you are good at riding a motorbike? We just want to get from Karon to Kata each day to our boat pick up and perhaps get around to beaches. At night what is the best mode of transport for two girls? Taxi? Tuk Tuk? Also, how safe is our gear in our guest house? We will have all kinds of computer equipment and ipods etc…or is there a safer option for storing stuff? The guy that owns the guest house is English and seems like a top guy, but I’m not sure how safe all our stuff is. Anyway, thanks again for the informative blog
Vee & Sam
January 7th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
You do live very cheaply.I’ve just returned from my second trip to Phuket in 3 months and I can’t seem to survive on that for a week! Mind you, I’m on hols so guess it’s different. I’m relocating to Phuket for work and would appreciate you emailing me details of where I can get an apartment at that rate. Thanks in anticipation!! Best wishes,
Simon
January 25th, 2008 at 6:11 am
I am not sure why I don’t believe this information……….other than the fact that I have lived in Thailand for 9 years and speak Thai
January 25th, 2008 at 6:24 am
You speak Thai? Well then of course that would make me a liar.
January 25th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Hey, just like simon i’d like to know where the cheaper rents are, as i am planning on moving down from china in a few months. thanx alot!
January 25th, 2008 at 9:29 am
If you rent outside of the main spots, you can get a place for about 3,000 a month. You can rent houses for 5,000 a month.
February 14th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
I am moving to Phuket in May from Minnesota, USA. Does anyone have any advice regarding finding a place to live? Are there any good websites for cheap furnished housing?
Thanks!
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
hi all I was reading what people spend in phuket etc… well im living in thailan for the last 11 months here (2008/04/20) and sure you can live on little but i would seriusly recomand coming here to have a buget of more than 60.000 thai bath per mont and you should be ok…and dont ferget things are going up…a good place to rent will be in the 10.000 mark water electricity 2000 to 3000 , yes I use the aircon the fan is on to all day…,yes you can eat for 100 bath a day but belive me that is not going to be enough…you will need weel in the 500 bath a day for good clean food…and not noddles for street… remember you come here for a good life and not to live like a brook farang…no one like you if you do not have any $$$$. like the t shirt say….no money no…honey…enjoy
ps I love thailand…