Best Areas of Phuket to Buy: a Comparison
The island is small, but the gap between districts is wider than between countries: price per sqm on the west coast and in the south differs several times over, and rental demand differs more. Below is a summary across every district in our catalogue, and a full guide to each.
Prices by district
| District | Projects | Median entry | Median $/sqm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surin | 5 | $316 298 | $5 826 |
| Layan (Layan Beach) | 25 | $688 924 | $4 809 |
| Kata | 9 | $159 660 | $4 381 |
| Pa Klok · Cape Yamu | 4 | $2 226 162 | $4 292 |
| Panwa (Cape Panwa) | 6 | $3 263 607 | $4 239 |
| Kamala | 18 | $411 603 | $3 979 |
| Patong | 5 | $178 484 | $3 926 |
| Karon | 11 | $123 000 | $3 899 |
| Bang Tao | 139 | $594 738 | $3 600 |
| Nai Harn | 18 | $239 639 | $3 394 |
| Nai Yang | 16 | $437 486 | $3 212 |
| Rawai | 31 | $226 280 | $3 211 |
| Nai Thon | 9 | $689 934 | $2 576 |
| Ko Kaew | 10 | $899 467 | $2 558 |
| Chalong | 17 | $593 138 | $2 445 |
| Mai Khao | 9 | $455 497 | $2 287 |
| Thalang | 28 | $740 411 | $2 268 |
| Phuket Town | 1 | $2 230 230 | — |
Calculated from our own Phuket catalogue. Median $/sqm is shown only where the sample is large enough; a dash means too few observations, not a cheap district. The "projects" column is how many properties fed the calculation.
Area guides
The quiet green north of the Bang Tao coastline: a national park, the island’s best sunsets and Phuket’s most talked-about new developments.
8 kilometres of beach, Laguna Phuket and the island’s main dining street: the area where Phuket’s premium market took shape.
An intimate premium enclave between Bang Tao and Kamala: a short “house” beach, hillsides of view villas and one of the island’s priciest coastal strips.
A calm family bay with the Millionaires’ Mile on its southern cliffs: branded residences, sunset views and 10 minutes to Patong.
Phuket’s tourist capital: 3 km of beach, Bangla Road, shopping malls and the island’s largest short-term rental market.
A three-kilometre “singing” beach and an unhurried family resort between noisy Patong and youthful Kata.
Twin beaches, surf schools and a cosy resort village: the southwest’s liveliest area without Patong’s chaos.
The bay named Phuket’s best beach year after year: turquoise water, a lake behind the sand and green hills with no high-rise construction.
The south’s expat capital: seaside living without the resort gloss — a seafood market, longtail boats and the rhythm of the real Phuket.
The yachting and diving hub, Big Buddha above the bay, and the south’s most practical residential area with the best price per square metre.
A quiet cape in the southeast: a wave-sheltered bay, views over the gulf and Koh Lone — the side of the island for people who live here, not holiday here.
The east coast marina belt: Boat Lagoon, Royal Phuket Marina and BISP — the centre of the island’s boating and family life.
The green middle of the island: the Thanyapura sports campus, UWC school and new villa estates priced a third below the coast.
The east shore with limestone-island views over Phang Nga Bay: Cape Yamu, Ao Po marina and insider villas far from the tourist flow.
A real city on a resort island: the Sino-Portuguese old quarter, the island’s best hospitals and schools — and Phuket’s most affordable square metres.
Eleven kilometres of wild beach protected by a national park: a resort enclave for those who want the ocean without the crowds — and the airport 12 minutes away.
A beach village in casuarina shade by the national park: a local rhythm, the neighbourhood’s best new-build prices and the airport 10 minutes away.
A kilometre-long bay hidden between green headlands: the northwest’s most secluded swimming beach — and some of the coast’s most affordable new-builds.
Phuket’s oldest integrated resort: an 18-hole golf course, lagoons with a boat shuttle, five hotel brands and 12 residential projects by Banyan Group — from ~$140k condos to beachfront branded villas.
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