How much do you need to earn to live here, after Thailand takes its share?
Here's the gross monthly salary that covers rent, food, transport, and utilities once Thailand's tax system has taken its cut. (2026)
The floor in Phuket is roughly ฿26,050/month gross, on a lean budget.
For something that feels comfortable, think ฿35,285/month gross (฿34,100 net after ~3% tax).
| Expense | Budget | Comfortable | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent (1BR) | ฿9,000 Cheapest neighborhood (Phuket Town) | ฿15,500 Median neighborhood | ฿21,000 Premium neighborhood (Patong) |
| Groceries | ฿7,000 | ฿8,400 | ฿10,500 |
| Transport | ฿2,000 | ฿2,000 | ฿2,000 |
| Utilities | ฿2,800 | ฿2,800 | ฿2,800 |
| Dining & Entertainment | ฿4,500 | ฿5,400 | ฿6,750 |
| Total Monthly Expenses | ฿25,300 | ฿34,100 | ฿43,050 |
฿26,050/month gross
฿35,285/month gross
฿45,019/month gross
Second-hand 1BR rents across 4 neighborhoods in Phuket.
Phuket Town
0 min by walk
฿9,000 - ฿15,000
Chalong
20 min by car
฿10,000 - ฿18,000
Rawai
35 min by car
฿12,000 - ฿22,000
Patong
0 min by walk
฿15,000 - ฿27,000
Rawai
35 min by car
฿12,000 - ฿22,000
Chalong
20 min by car
฿10,000 - ฿18,000
All 4 neighborhoods, the full expense sheet, and what you could save.
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We add up monthly expenses (rent, groceries, transport, utilities, dining out) for each lifestyle tier, then work backwards to find the gross salary that lands on that number after Thailand's income tax and social contributions. Rent data reflects second-hand listings, which is what expats actually pay. All figures come from 2026 official government statistics. Full attribution lives on our data sources page.
On a budget lifestyle, you need at least ฿26,050/month gross salary to cover basic expenses in Phuket. For a comfortable lifestyle, aim for ฿35,285/month gross. These figures include rent, food, transport, utilities, and dining out, with taxes calculated for Thailand.
The average 1-bedroom rent across 4 neighborhoods in Phuket is approximately ฿16,000/month. Rents range from ฿9,000 in Phuket Town to ฿27,000 in Patong.
Monthly groceries for a single person in Phuket cost approximately ฿7,000. This covers basic home cooking. Dining out and premium food will add to this budget.
Tax rates in Thailand are progressive. At the budget salary level of ฿26,050/month, the effective tax rate is approximately 3%. At the comfortable level of ฿35,285/month, it rises to approximately 3%. This includes income tax and social contributions.