# Phuket — relocation profile

Phuket, Thailand · Flawed democracy · livability 59/100

## At a glance

- **Country:** Thailand
- **Region:** Asia
- **Estimated monthly cost of living (solo, renting in the centre):** $1,891/month
- **Livability score:** 59 / 100 (rank 99 of 132 Townleap cities)
- **Settler safety score:** 51 / 100 (rank 103 of 132)
- **Cost vs New York City:** 81% cheaper
- **Also appears in:** Beach Life, Lowest Crime, Budget Maximizers, Rising Stars, Fresh Start Cities, Hidden Gems, Family-Friendly Cities, Retire Abroad, Young Professionals, Asia & Pacific, Queer Settlers, Leaving the UK, Freelance-Friendly

## Cost of living

| Item | USD / month |
| --- | --- |
| Rent — 1-bed, city centre | $708 |
| Rent — 1-bed, outside centre | $482 |
| Rent — 3-bed, city centre | $2,186 |
| Average net salary (after tax) | $527 |
| **Total monthly cost (solo, rent included)** | **$1,891** |

One-off cost to land (deposit, agency fee, furnishing, first admin): $3,204.

Reference point: 7% pricier than Bangkok.

## Settling

- **Democracy index (EIU, 0–10):** 6.3
- **Regime type:** Flawed democracy
- **Homicide rate:** 4.8 per 100,000/year
- **Time to permanent residency:** 3 years
- **Time to citizenship:** 8 years
- **English proficiency:** Very Low (EF EPI 402)
- **Main languages:** Central Thai

## Day to day

- **Summer (low–high):** 26–31°C
- **Winter (low–high):** 24–32°C
- **Healthcare index (0–100):** 71.2
- **Natural features:** sea

## Economy

- **GDP per capita:** $24,712 (2024, country-level)
- **Inflation:** 1.4% (2024)
- **Unemployment:** 0.8% (2025)
- **Population:** 418,785

## Similar cities

| City | Country | Rent (1-bed, centre) | Monthly cost | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bali | Indonesia | $1,082 | $2,210 | /cities/bali |
| Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | $690 | $1,748 | /cities/kuala-lumpur |
| Bangkok | Thailand | $703 | $1,814 | /cities/bangkok |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | $661 | $1,816 | /cities/rio-de-janeiro |
| Goa | India | $167 | $853 | /cities/goa |

## Related pages

- Cost of living breakdown: /cost-of-living/phuket
- Compare with another city: /cities/compare
- Visa and residency paths: /cities/phuket/visa

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Source: [Townleap](https://www.townleap.com/cities/phuket) — permanent-relocation data for people picking a country to actually live in, not visit.

Cost figures are Numbeo-derived and in USD unless labelled otherwise. Economics are World Bank. Every number on this page is also on the HTML page at the same URL — this variant exists so you do not have to parse a React app to read a rent figure.