---
title: "Living in Phuket as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/phuket
description: "Island life with a full expat infrastructure"
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Phuket, Thailand

Phuket scores 50.9/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 252 of 309 cities. Expect about $1,311 per month, a nomad visa (Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)), and a measured median download speed of 28 Mbps.

Phuket is Thailand's most developed island: beaches, coworking, gyms and direct international flights. It is pricier than Chiang Mai and wet from May to October.

Known for: Beaches, Muay Thai and diving, International schools, Rainy season.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 50.9 |
| Cost of living | 55 |
| Safety | 48 |
| Healthcare | 74 |
| Internet | 59 |
| Visa ease | 65 |
| Getting there & around | 10 |
| Climate | 25 |
| Air quality | 73 |
| Quality of life | 49 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,311 | city | 2026-07 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | $596 | city | 2026-07 | [^2] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | $358 | city | 2026-07 | [^2] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 4.4 | country | 2021 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 54.2 | country | 2024 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.3 | country | 2021 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 28 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 16.6 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Nomad visa | Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) | country | 2026-07 | [^9] |
| Visa-free days US / EU / UK | 60 days / 60 days / 60 days | editorial | 2026-02 | [^10] |
| Non-stop destinations (HKT) | 67 | city | 2026-09 | [^11] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 1 / 1 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^12] |
| Comfortable months | 3 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^13] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 17 | city | 2021 | [^14] |
| Human Development Index | 0.798 | country | 2023 | [^15] |
| English proficiency band | very-low | country | 2024 | [^16] |

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 26.9 | 80 | 82 | yes |
| Feb | 27.6 | 27 | 78 | yes |
| Mar | 28.4 | 112 | 77 | no |
| Apr | 28.8 | 145 | 79 | no |
| May | 28.5 | 265 | 82 | no |
| Jun | 28.1 | 281 | 83 | no |
| Jul | 27.9 | 264 | 83 | no |
| Aug | 27.7 | 310 | 83 | no |
| Sep | 27.4 | 352 | 84 | no |
| Oct | 27.2 | 336 | 85 | no |
| Nov | 27.4 | 219 | 84 | no |
| Dec | 27.1 | 137 | 83 | yes |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Phuket International Airport | HKT | 67 | 55 | 0 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 67, of which 55 international (Wikipedia, 2026-09).

## Similar cities

- [Boquete](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/boquete) (50.4) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/boquete-vs-phuket)
- [Pattaya](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/pattaya) (56.6) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/pattaya-vs-phuket)
- [Panama City](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/panama-city) (53.5) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/panama-city-vs-phuket)
- [Cusco](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cusco) (46.6) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cusco-vs-phuket)
- [Arequipa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/arequipa) (47.1) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/arequipa-vs-phuket)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Phuket as a digital nomad?

A single person typically spends about $1,311 per month in Phuket, renting a one-bedroom outside the centre (about $358). A central one-bedroom costs about $596, which brings the total to roughly $1,549. That is a 55/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Phuket safe for digital nomads?

Phuket scores 48/100 on safety. Thailand records 4.4 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2021) and a political-stability score of 54.2/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Thailand have a digital nomad visa?

Yes. Thailand offers the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV). Verify current rules with the issuing authority before applying.

### How fast is the internet in Phuket?

Measured median download speed in Phuket was 28 Mbps (upload 16.6 Mbps) across 42,029 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Which airports serve Phuket and how many nonstop flights are there?

Phuket is served by Phuket International Airport (HKT) with 67 nonstop destinations, of which 55 are international. 0 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-09.

### When is the best time of year to be in Phuket?

The most comfortable months are Jan, Feb, Dec. Mean temperatures range from 80°F (27°C) in Jan to 84°F (29°C) in Apr (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Phuket or Boquete: which is better for digital nomads?

Boquete is the city with the closest factor profile to Phuket in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/estimates-of-rates-of-homicides-per-100-000-population (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Digital Nomad Visas 2026, WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^10]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^11]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^12]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^13]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8), World Health Organization. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-ambient-air-quality-database-(update-jun-2026) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^16]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/phuket