# Phuket vs Krabi: where to buy property

Source: https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/compare/phuket-vs-krabi
Updated: 2026-11-14
Publisher: Thailand Property Investor (Omnia Capital Group)

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.

| | Phuket | Krabi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Condominiums | THB 125,000 to THB 284,000 per sqm | n/a |
| Villas | THB 70,000 to THB 162,000 per sqm | n/a |
| Airport | 30 min, Phuket International (HKT) | 45 min, Krabi International (KBV) |
| Coast | Andaman coast | Andaman coast |
| Best for | Resort second homes; Freehold condominiums with rental programmes; Leasehold pool villas; Families using international schools; Yacht owners | Andaman scenery without Phuket's density or prices; Leasehold pool villas for personal use and seasonal letting; Buyers with a long holding period |

## 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

## 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

## 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](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/title-deeds-and-due-diligence) and [buying a villa in Thailand](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/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](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/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](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/living/healthcare) and [climate and seasons](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/living/climate-and-seasons).

## 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.

## Sources

- [Knight Frank Thailand, Phuket villa and condominium market, year-end 2025](https://content.knightfrank.com/research/2838/documents/en/phuket-villa-condominium-market-year-end-2025-12944.pdf)
- [Knight Frank Thailand, Phuket villa and condominium market, year-end 2024](https://content.knightfrank.com/research/2838/documents/en/phuket-villa-condominium-market-2024-12106.pdf)
- [CBRE Research, Phuket overall figures, H1 2026](https://mktgdocs.cbre.com/2299/7b68866d-cef2-42d1-b483-000a7e5f4bd6-357448943/Phuket-Overall-Figures-H1_2026.pdf)
- [C9 Hotelworks, Phuket property market update, May 2025](https://c9hotelworks.com/market_reports/phuket-property-market-update-may-2025)
- [The Nation, Phuket property boom pushes Bang Tao and Layan prices to Bangkok levels, 18 June 2026](https://www.nationthailand.com/business/property/40067571)
- [The Nation, Phuket property market hits 705bn baht (AREA survey), 12 September 2026](https://www.nationthailand.com/business/property/40070944)
- [The Nation, Phuket's property boom brings pressure on local communities, 4 November 2026](https://www.nationthailand.com/business/property/40073080)
- [OpenStreetMap, coordinates of named places](https://www.openstreetmap.org/)
- [Wikipedia, Krabi International Airport (routes, 2025 passengers, capacity)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krabi_International_Airport)
- [Wikipedia, Krabi (Thai Meteorological Department climate normals 1981 to 2010)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krabi)
- [Wikipedia, Krabi province (visitor numbers and season)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krabi_province)
- [Keller Henson, Krabi project listings with asking prices](https://kellerhenson.com/location/krabi)
- [The Nation, SOLYNA Residence launch at Klong Muang (press release), 29 June 2026](https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/pr-news/40068040)
- [Thaiger, Average house price in Thailand by region, 25 June 2026](https://thethaiger.com/guides/average-house-price-in-thailand-by-region-2026)
- [Wise, Krabi Airport to Ao Nang (distance and transfer times)](https://wise.com/my/blog/krabi-airport-to-ao-nang)
- [International Schools Database, Krabi fees 2026/2027](https://www.international-schools-database.com/in/krabi)
- [Bangkok Hospital Phuket, about the hospital](https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/phuket/about-us/our-story-bpk)