Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling — Ayutthaya 3 vs Phuket 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
| Item | Ayutthaya | Phuket | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ฿ 80$2.42 | ฿ 130$3.94 | Ayutthaya −38% |
| Street food1 item | ฿ 50$1.52 | ฿ 80$2.42 | Ayutthaya −38% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ฿ 300$9.09 | ฿ 450$13.6 | Ayutthaya −33% |
| Coffeeone cup | ฿ 65$1.97 | ฿ 80$2.42 | Ayutthaya −19% |
| Beerone bottle | ฿ 100$3.03 | ฿ 110$3.33 | Ayutthaya −9% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ฿ 180$5.45 | ฿ 250$7.58 | Ayutthaya −28% |
| Bottled water | ฿ 10$0.3 | ฿ 12$0.36 | Ayutthaya −17% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ฿ 20$0.61 | ฿ 25$0.76 | Ayutthaya −20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ฿ 120$3.64 | ฿ 200$6.06 | Ayutthaya −40% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ฿ 60$1.82 | ฿ 100$3.03 | Ayutthaya −40% |
| Transitone ride | ฿ 20$0.61 | ฿ 40$1.21 | Ayutthaya −50% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ฿ 250$7.58 | ฿ 300$9.09 | Ayutthaya −17% |
| Hotel night3-star | ฿ 1,100$33.3 | ฿ 2,000$60.6 | Ayutthaya −45% |
| Studio rent (month) | ฿ 7,000$212 | ฿ 16,000$485 | Ayutthaya −56% |
| Laundry | ฿ 40$1.21 | ฿ 50$1.52 | Ayutthaya −20% |
| SIM card1 week data | ฿ 300$9.09 | ฿ 299$9.06 | similar |
| Haircutcut | ฿ 150$4.55 | ฿ 150$4.55 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | ฿ 300$9.09 | ฿ 350$10.6 | Ayutthaya −14% |
| Half-day tourper person | ฿ 800$24.2 | ฿ 1,000$30.3 | Ayutthaya −20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ฿ 50$1.52 | ฿ 200$6.06 | Ayutthaya −75% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Ayutthaya is 44% cheaper than Phuket. Daily budget $64.2 vs $109; a month $1,058 vs $2,006.
About the same: Ayutthaya 2.8/5, Phuket 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ayutthaya is about $1,058 and Phuket about $2,006 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.