The bays of Kata Noi, Kata and Karon from the Karon viewpoint, Phuket

Phuket vs Krabi: where to buy property

Phuket and Krabi, side by side.

Krabi gives you the Andaman's limestone and sea for less and asks you to accept a thin market. New pool villas around Ao Nang list at about THB 45,000 to 77,000 per sqm of built area, while Phuket's villa median was THB 70,000 in 2025 and branded villas reach THB 162,000. Krabi has few condominiums, one international school and few resales. Buy there to use a villa and keep it; buy on Phuket if freehold, schools or an exit matter.

Choose Phuket if

you want freehold title, which needs a condominium: Phuket had 42,061 of them at the end of 2025
you may need to sell, and want comparable sales and active buyers to support your price
your family needs international schools and a JCI-accredited hospital on the island
you want beach clubs, malls, marinas and a wide choice of restaurants within a short drive

Discover Phuket

Choose Krabi if

you want the karst cliffs of Ao Nang and Railay, with Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta offshore
you are buying a pool villa to use in the dry season and plan to hold it for many years
a rural pace outside the tourist strip suits you better than Phuket's density
you would rather pay less per square metre and accept that a sale may take a long time

Discover Krabi

Phuket and Krabi side by side

Measure	Phuket	Krabi
Coast	Andaman coast	Andaman coast
Condominiums, per sqm	฿125,000 to ฿284,000	n/a
Villas, per sqm	฿70,000 to ฿162,000	n/a
Gross rental yield	5% to 8%	n/a
To the airport	30 min, Phuket International (HKT)	45 min, Krabi International (KBV)
Best for	Resort second homes, Freehold condominiums with rental programmes, Leasehold pool villas	Andaman scenery without Phuket's density or prices, Leasehold pool villas for personal use and seasonal letting, Buyers with a long holding period
Prices reviewed	December 2025	November 2026

Asking prices per square metre of interior or built area.

Phuket and Krabi: character

Phuket Krabi

Beach
Dining
Family
Nightlife
Golf
Marina
Wellness
Quiet
City life
Value

Scored 0 to 5 by our advisers, from each area guide.

The same sea, a different market

Krabi and Phuket face each other across Phang Nga Bay and share a season, but not a market. Phuket's stock runs to 42,061 condominiums and 7,789 villas. Krabi's stock is mostly small pool-villa estates from local developers, set back in the valleys behind Ao Nang and along the road to Klong Muang, and very few of them have ever been resold. That decides how you buy, and later how you sell.

Where the risk sits

In Krabi it sits with the title and the developer. Small firms, leased land, and national park and forest land close to the coast put the weight on legal due diligence: check completed work, the land title and the lease terms before paying a deposit. Read title deeds and due diligence and buying a villa in Thailand.

On Phuket it sits with supply and delivery. Completions fell 56.8% in the first half of 2026 because projects were delayed or not ready for handover. The off-plan buying process applies to both.

Schools, hospitals and evenings

Krabi has one international school, Krabi International School, and Krabi Nakharin International Hospital for routine care. For serious treatment, owners look to Bangkok Hospital Phuket or to Bangkok. Ao Nang has restaurants, supermarkets and bars, but nothing like Phuket's range of beach clubs, malls or dining. See healthcare and climate and seasons.

Choosing between Phuket and Krabi

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Phuket or Krabi: questions

Is Krabi cheaper than Phuket?

For villas, generally. Villas around Ao Nang were offered in November 2026 at about THB 44,600 to 76,800 per sqm of built area. Phuket's median for villas and landed homes was THB 70,000 per sqm in 2025, with branded villas up to THB 162,000. Krabi's figures are asking prices, so ask for registered sale prices on comparable villas before you agree a figure.

Is it harder to resell in Krabi?

Yes. There are few comparable sales, few active agents and a small buyer pool, so a sale can take a long time and a price is hard to benchmark. Phuket has an active resale market, though a crowded one: in September 2026, existing stock would take about 19.2 months to sell.

Which is easier to reach from abroad?

Phuket, which has direct long-haul and regional services. Krabi International has regional routes to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Dubai, Sharjah and Delhi, and seasonal winter flights from Abu Dhabi, Helsinki and Copenhagen. Most long-haul travellers to Krabi connect in Bangkok, and Ao Nang is about 45 minutes from the airport by taxi.

Do Krabi and Phuket have the same weather?

Broadly, yes. Both follow the Andaman pattern, dry from December to March and wet under the south-west monsoon from about May to October. Krabi's rain peaks in October at about 324 mm, and most of its visitors arrive between November and April, so rental income comes in the same months on both.

54 sources, reviewed 14 November 2026Show