The Cost of Living on Phuket

Cost of Living on Phuket

So . . . what does it cost to live in paradise? This is a common question that only you can answer. Everyone has different expectations about their lifestyle and how they chose to live.

There are people who save money on a teacher’s wages and there are people who need to draw from their savings every month.

Do you go out and party nightly? Does the bartender at the local pub know you by name? And the finest restaurants have your favorite wine in the cellar?

A good portion of your costs will be determined by your housing choices and your transportation needs. If you want to live on a beach or with a sea view, you will obviously pay much more than if you live away from the sea in a non-tourist area.

A modest studio (one room) apartment with A/C starts about B5-6000 and can go quite high. A modest one bedroom house (probably no A/C) can start as low as B6-8000. A nice two bedroom furnished house with A/C in a good area can run about B11-25,000 and up.

If you live near your work and can walk there or are skilled at driving a scooter (don’t learn how here!), those costs will be lower than if you are constantly hiring a taxi or motorbike taxi to take you to work.

Hotels often provide regular transport for their employees to and from Phuket Town (if you end up teaching English for a hotel or resort).

Phuket has a notoriously poor public transportation system that hubs in Phuket Town and spokes out to other areas. This often means that you must go to Phuket Town rather than direct and can greatly increase the amount of time you will spend getting where you want to go.

Phuket’s transportation system only runs from about 8am to about 6pm – other than that, you’ll have to walk, hire someone, bum a ride, or have your own wheels.