Cheapest Areas to Stay in Phuket

If Phuket feels expensive, the area you pick makes the biggest difference. Some places have far more low-cost rooms, and others are expensive almost everywhere.

Usually cheapest

Patong has the widest choice of low-cost rooms. Phuket Old Town and Chalong have local guesthouses and apartments at modest prices. Parts of Karon and Kata also have budget options a few streets back from the sea.

Usually most expensive

Surin, Layan, Bang Tao and Cape Panwa are among the priciest, with upscale resorts and villas and few budget options.

What you give up

Beachfront location: the cheapest rooms are a few streets back or on a main road
Quiet: the cheapest areas are often the busiest
Convenience: a very cheap area far from the beaches can add taxi costs

Tips

Compare the total cost, not just the room rate
Consider splitting your stay between a cheap base and one or two nights somewhere nicer
Travel in the green season for lower prices, accepting rougher seas on the west coast