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: $975 in Bambous versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,574 in Bambous versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,174 in Bambous versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Bambous costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bambous 27% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.44 MUR 208

$4.48 ฿150

-0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.73 MUR 2,049

$45.59 ฿1,521

-4.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.44 MUR 208

$8.76 ฿292

-49.32%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MUR 100

$2.97 ฿99.0

-27.95%

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

$0.96 MUR 45.07

$0.69 ฿22.90

39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MUR 21.53

$0.39 ฿13.04

17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.53 ฿84.4

-10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MUR 75.6

$3.75 ฿125

-57.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MUR 57.4

$2.15 ฿71.6

-42.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 MUR 32.64

$1.82 ฿60.6

-61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 MUR 52.9

$2.18 ฿72.9

-48.17%

Eggs

$2.31 MUR 108

$2.25 ฿75.0

2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MUR 558

$20.00 ฿667

-40.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 MUR 153

$3.63 ฿121

-10.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.44 MUR 208

$13.56 ฿452

-67.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 92.3

$3.24 ฿108

-39.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 MUR 94.4

$1.64 ฿54.6

23.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MUR 68.2

$2.33 ฿77.8

-37.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 MUR 123

$2.07 ฿69.1

27.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MUR 48.32

$1.55 ฿51.6

-33.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.18

$1.46 ฿48.54

-30.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MUR 39.13

$0.98 ฿32.86

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MUR 38.14

$0.48 ฿16.09

68.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 MUR 307

$4.35 ฿145

50.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 MUR 385

$18.57 ฿620

-55.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MUR 81.5

$1.86 ฿61.9

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.65 ฿88.6

-14.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 46.83

$1.42 ฿47.28

-29.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 MUR 210

$3.17 ฿106

41.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 MUR 123

$1.03 ฿34.41

154.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.98 MUR 936

$13.89 ฿463

43.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MUR 68.1

$1.34 ฿44.84

8.21%

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

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

27.29%

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

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-12.71%

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

$50.4 MUR 2,361

$123 ฿4,105

-59.04%

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

$18.70 MUR 876

$13.77 ฿459

35.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 MUR 1,556

$18.33 ฿611

81.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.47 MUR 1,802

$60.7 ฿2,025

-36.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$5.91 MUR 277

$8.87 ฿296

-33.37%

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

$157 MUR 7,336

$688 ฿22.9K

-77.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,965 MUR 185.7K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-74.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 MUR 3,928

$59.3 ฿1,978

41.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.3 MUR 3,666

$34.69 ฿1,157

125.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MUR 6,123

$115 ฿3,843

13.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 MUR 4,483

$83.8 ฿2,794

14.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 MUR 23.6K

$621 ฿20.7K

-18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 MUR 16.5K

$446 ฿14.9K

-20.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 MUR 44.6K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-53.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 MUR 33.4K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-52.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.33

25.14%

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

Last update for Bambous: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $504 in Bambous and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Bambous vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $291 per month, with Bambous cheaper across the board.

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 30% in total monthly costs ($975 vs $1,264 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,463 in Bambous and $1,896 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $504 in Bambous versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $157 in Bambous versus $688 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 $44.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $975 in Bambous versus $1,264 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.