Cost of Living Comparison Between Bambous and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bambous and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $535 in Bambous versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $902 in Bambous versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,268 in Bambous versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Bambous costs roughly 57% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bambous 61% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.36 MUR 207

$4.41 ฿147

-1.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.99 MUR 1,804

$32.26 ฿1,073

17.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.12 MUR 196

$8.93 ฿297

-53.86%

Cappuccino

$2.13 MUR 101

$2.90 ฿96.3

-26.55%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 MUR 51.6

$0.88 ฿29.27

23.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MUR 20.79

$0.48 ฿16.00

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MUR 127

$2.35 ฿78.2

13.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MUR 74.7

$3.72 ฿124

-57.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MUR 56.8

$1.87 ฿62.0

-35.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MUR 34.69

$1.47 ฿48.75

-50.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MUR 51.4

$1.55 ฿51.6

-30.32%

Eggs

$2.59 MUR 123

$2.10 ฿69.9

23.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.29 MUR 251

$19.59 ฿651

-73.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 MUR 153

$3.42 ฿114

-5.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.27 MUR 203

$11.38 ฿378

-62.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MUR 98.4

$2.98 ฿99.2

-30.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 MUR 124

$1.68 ฿56.0

54.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.8

$2.21 ฿73.5

-34.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 MUR 138

$2.16 ฿71.9

34.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 MUR 44.71

$1.52 ฿50.7

-38.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 MUR 45.74

$1.34 ฿44.49

-28.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 MUR 33.62

$1.13 ฿37.53

-37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MUR 43.51

$0.55 ฿18.17

67.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 MUR 298

$4.26 ฿142

47.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 MUR 406

$19.09 ฿635

-55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MUR 78.2

$1.78 ฿59.2

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MUR 108

$2.78 ฿92.5

-18.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 MUR 198

$3.03 ฿101

37.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 MUR 148

$1.02 ฿34.02

205.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.89 MUR 992

$3.89 ฿129

437.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MUR 63.9

$1.49 ฿49.57

-10.07%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

$26.6K ฿883.8K

37.53%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

$27.0K ฿898.7K

17.41%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$44.49 MUR 2,113

$102 ฿3,407

-56.58%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.62 MUR 505

$11.33 ฿377

-6.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 MUR 1,403

$17.40 ฿578

69.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 MUR 308

$7.69 ฿256

-15.73%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$128 MUR 6,059

$561 ฿18.6K

-77.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,820 MUR 371.4K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-32.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 MUR 3,734

$63.0 ฿2,096

24.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.4 MUR 3,579

$29.52 ฿982

155.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MUR 5,725

$98.0 ฿3,259

22.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 MUR 3,648

$88.5 ฿2,943

-13.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.57

19.75%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bambous: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $38.00 in Bambous vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $173 vs $274, with Bambous cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bambous vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bambous and Phuket differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($535 vs $1,232 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $803 in Bambous and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $128 in Bambous versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bambous – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $535 in Bambous versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bambous but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bambous the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bambous and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bambous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.