Should you visit Phuket or Koh Phi Phi?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Phuket or Koh Phi Phi, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Phuket
Phuket Island is the tourist mecca of southern Thailand. Known for its beaches and resorts, the island brings in a massive amount of travelers from all over the world, year round. Although the beaches are beautiful, Phuket has also become more westernized and tourist-oriented in recent decades, leaving many travelers to venture elsewhere to find that amazing beach with a more authentic Thai vibe. However, Phuket Island is quite large, and hidden gems can still be found.
Koh Phi Phi
The islands of Koh Phi Phi, off the coast of southwestern Thailand, are very popular with travelers because of their unrivaled tropical scenery, clear blue waters, relaxing atmosphere, and undersea attractions. However, in the last decade, Koh Phi Phi has seen a huge surge in tourism, adding to the crowds and pollution of the main (and only populated) island, known as Koh Phi Phi Don.
Which city is cheaper, Koh Phi Phi or Phuket?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Phuket is $93, while the average daily cost in Koh Phi Phi is $65. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Phuket and Koh Phi Phi in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Phuket is about $102 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $72 in Koh Phi Phi For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Phuket cost around $18 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $7.20.
The price of a meal in Koh Phi Phi can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $10 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $4.00 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Phuket $18
Koh Phi Phi $10
Typical Food prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Phuket:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phuket
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phuket.
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Private Authentic Thai Cooking Class in a Family Home in Phuket:
$60
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Siam Niramit w/ Ticket+ Buffet Dinner + Transfer:
$63
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Half Day Thai Cooking Class including Lunch from Khao Lak:
$65
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Phuket FantaSea: Show with Dinner and Transfers:
$75
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Phijittra Uniqueness Sailing Sunset Dinner Cruise:
$79
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Phuket Cooking Course with Sightseeing Tour plus Kata Local Market (Full Day):
$101
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Dinner Buffet Cruise in Phuket:
$109
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James Bond Island Trip on Luxury Boat & lunch buffet, dinner, water activities:
$153
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Sunset Dinner Cruise on board a beautiful:
$204
Typical Food prices in Koh Phi Phi
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Koh Phi Phi:
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Phuket is $9.05 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Koh Phi Phi than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $6.21 on transportation in Koh Phi Phi on average per day.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Phuket:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phuket
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phuket:
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Phuket Airport to Koh Lanta any hotel Private transfer:
$182
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Luxe Transfer Airport - South Phuket by Mercedes-Benz S-class:
$154
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Luxe Transfer Airport - Central Phuket by Mercedes-Benz S-class:
$136
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Luxe Transfer Airport - South Phuket by Toyota Alphard:
$136
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Minivan Private Transfer from Phuket Airport to Khao Sok:
$120
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Luxe Transfer Airport - North Phuket by Mercedes-Benz S-class:
$118
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Luxe Transfer Airport - Central Phuket by Toyota Alphard:
$118
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Phang Nga Bay Speed Boat with Private RoundTrip Transfer:
$115
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Phuket Airport Transfers : Phuket City to Phuket Airport HKT in Luxury Van:
$106
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Luxe Transfer Airport - South Phuket by Mercedes-Benz E-class:
$104
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Phuket Private Transfer To Ao Nang Beach, Krabi:
$101
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Departure Private Transfers from Phuket City to Phuket Airport HKT:
$100
Typical Local Transportation prices in Koh Phi Phi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Koh Phi Phi:
Is it cheaper to fly into Phuket or Koh Phi Phi?
Prices for flights to both Koh Phi Phi and Phuket change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Phuket's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $38 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Sightseeing expenses in Koh Phi Phi, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $41 per day, per person.
Typical Entertainment prices in Phuket
Here are a few typical costs in Phuket for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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One Day Boat Tour
$28
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Scuba Diving (Two Dives)
$77
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Thai Oil Massage
$20
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Surfboard Rental
$9.23
Tours and Activities in Phuket
Here are a few actual costs in Phuket for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Coral and Racha Islands Speedboat Snorkeling Tour from Phuket:
$73
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DAY TRIP - JOIN TOUR Coral Island Phuket by Sailing Catamaran Yacht:
$155
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Early Bird Small Group - Phi Phi Islands Sunrise Tour with Seaview Lunch Buffet:
$106
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Fishing Live Aboard Cruise to the Similan Islands:
$7,338
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Fishing Live Aboard Cruise to the Surin Islands:
$7,338
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Flying Hanuman Phuket Tour:
$119
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Flying Hanuman Ziplining Experience:
$83
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Flying Trapeze Adventure in Phuket:
$21
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From 4-Day Tropical Island Cruise - Suwan Macha:
$1,328
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From Full-Day Coral Island Tour & Sea Walking:
$79
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From Soi Dog Foundation and Islands Tour:
$85
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Full Day Phi Phi Island Budget Speed Boat Tour with Lunch:
$64
Typical Entertainment prices in Koh Phi Phi
For Koh Phi Phi, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Phuket may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $5.73 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Koh Phi Phi, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $5.10.
Typical Alcohol prices in Phuket
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Phuket from other travelers:
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Cocktails (for Two)
$6.15
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Beer
$2.61
Typical Alcohol prices in Koh Phi Phi
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Koh Phi Phi from other travelers:
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Mojito Bucket
$15
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Banana Daiquiri
$6.15
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phuket and Koh Phi Phi, we can see that Phuket is more expensive. And not only is Koh Phi Phi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Koh Phi Phi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Koh Phi Phi and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Phuket would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Phuket than you might in Koh Phi Phi.
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