Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bamenda and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamenda: $670 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Bamenda
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Bamenda Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Bamenda

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$670

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bamenda and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bamenda and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $670 per month in Bamenda vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Bamenda $670
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $897 per month in Bamenda vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Bamenda $897
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,123 per month in Bamenda vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Bamenda $1,123
Phuket $3,154

Bamenda is about 48% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bamenda and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Bamenda 51% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 FCFA 2,951

$4.47 ฿151

12.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 FCFA 3,814

$8.81 ฿297

-25.99%

Cappuccino

$1.17 FCFA 682

$2.83 ฿95.4

-58.66%

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

$1.74 FCFA 1,018

$0.87 ฿29.40

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 FCFA 370

$0.49 ฿16.65

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 FCFA 912

$2.56 ฿86.3

-39.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 FCFA 972

$3.68 ฿124

-54.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 FCFA 1,624

$1.66 ฿55.9

67.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 FCFA 482

$1.46 ฿49.29

-43.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 FCFA 1,138

$1.50 ฿50.5

29.33%

Eggs

$2.96 FCFA 1,733

$2.09 ฿70.5

41.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 FCFA 2,186

$3.30 ฿111

13.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.75 FCFA 2,779

$10.91 ฿368

-56.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 FCFA 1,516

$2.93 ฿98.8

-11.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 FCFA 482

$1.69 ฿57.0

-51.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 FCFA 684

$2.25 ฿75.7

-48.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 FCFA 755

$2.08 ฿70.0

-37.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 FCFA 1,741

$1.51 ฿51.0

97.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 FCFA 886

$1.38 ฿46.51

9.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 FCFA 455

$1.07 ฿35.95

-27.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 FCFA 451

$0.52 ฿17.50

48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 FCFA 1,013

$4.20 ฿142

-58.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 FCFA 5,628

$18.79 ฿634

-48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 FCFA 817

$1.82 ฿61.4

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 FCFA 967

$2.84 ฿95.8

-41.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 FCFA 764

$1.45 ฿48.97

-9.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.99 FCFA 5,258

$56.7 ฿1,911

-84.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 FCFA 359

$3.02 ฿102

-79.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 FCFA 362

$1.02 ฿34.32

-39.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 FCFA 3,230

$3.69 ฿124

49.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 FCFA 840

$1.47 ฿49.75

-2.04%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

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

$171 FCFA 100.2K

$96.4 ฿3,250

77.86%

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

$30.03 FCFA 17.6K

$11.26 ฿380

166.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.80 FCFA 25.0K

$16.85 ฿568

154.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.19 FCFA 10.1K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-74.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$8.48 FCFA 4,960

$7.50 ฿253

13.07%

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

$169 FCFA 99.1K

$476 ฿16.1K

-64.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.42 FCFA 14.9K

$62.4 ฿2,103

-59.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.49 FCFA 24.9K

$28.41 ฿958

49.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.74 FCFA 27.3K

$94.3 ฿3,180

-50.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.2 FCFA 29.9K

$85.8 ฿2,894

-40.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 FCFA 40.2K

$716 ฿24.1K

-90.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$33.55 FCFA 19.6K

$491 ฿16.6K

-93.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$97.3 FCFA 56.9K

$502 ฿16.9K

-80.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Bamenda: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bamenda

$244 36.4%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 49% $120

Groceries & Markets

Bamenda

$171 * 25.6%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 55.3% $95

Eating Out

Bamenda

$95 14.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 28.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Bamenda

$75 11.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 63.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Bamenda

$34 5.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 141% $48

Accommodation & Living

Bamenda

$34 5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 1363% $457

Getting Around

Bamenda

$18 2.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 294% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $69 in Bamenda versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Bamenda

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:45 5:45 PM

23:45 11:45 PM

6 h ahead of Bamenda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,735,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 653 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bamenda Phuket 9,720 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bamenda
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bamenda vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $670 in Bamenda, $1,278 in Phuket – Bamenda comes out roughly 48% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,006 per month in Bamenda and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bamenda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $69 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $670 in Bamenda and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Bamenda about 48% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $169 per month in Bamenda and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bamenda, where all-in costs run around $670, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Bamenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bamenda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bamenda. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.