Cost of Living Comparison Between Bang Kruai and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bang Kruai and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Bang Kruai versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,526 in Bang Kruai versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,139 in Bang Kruai versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Bang Kruai costs roughly 26% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bang Kruai 33% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ฿100

$4.41 ฿147

-31.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.00 ฿1,198

$32.26 ฿1,073

11.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 ฿251

$8.93 ฿297

-15.68%

Cappuccino

$2.88 ฿95.9

$2.90 ฿96.3

-0.69%

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

$0.77 ฿25.59

$0.88 ฿29.29

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.48 ฿16.01

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 ฿72.9

$2.35 ฿78.2

-6.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 ฿142

$3.72 ฿124

15.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ฿48.45

$1.87 ฿62.1

-21.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 ฿43.91

$1.47 ฿48.78

-10.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 ฿41.48

$1.55 ฿51.6

-19.35%

Eggs

$1.91 ฿63.7

$2.10 ฿69.9

-9.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 ฿419

$19.59 ฿652

-35.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.46 ฿82.0

$3.42 ฿114

-28.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 ฿339

$11.38 ฿379

-10.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 ฿117

$2.98 ฿99.3

18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ฿32.58

$1.68 ฿56.1

-41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ฿80.6

$2.21 ฿73.5

9.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.1

$2.16 ฿71.9

-24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.52 ฿50.7

13.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.73

$1.34 ฿44.52

-17.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ฿27.61

$1.13 ฿37.55

-26.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.27

$0.55 ฿18.18

-16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.67 ฿155

$4.26 ฿142

9.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.33 ฿477

$19.09 ฿635

-24.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ฿54.5

$1.78 ฿59.2

-7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 ฿84.5

$2.78 ฿92.6

-8.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.07

$2.23 ฿74.2

-58.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ฿34.65

$3.03 ฿101

-65.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 ฿40.12

$1.02 ฿34.04

18.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 ฿199

$3.89 ฿129

53.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.76

$1.49 ฿49.60

-3.36%

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

$17.0K ฿564.4K

$26.6K ฿884.4K

-36.18%

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

$26.9K ฿893.8K

$27.0K ฿899.3K

-0.61%

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

$84.7 ฿2,818

$102 ฿3,409

-17.33%

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

$9.48 ฿315

$11.33 ฿377

-16.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿622

$17.40 ฿579

7.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.81 ฿1,591

$52.1 ฿1,733

-8.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.21 ฿473

$11.07 ฿368

28.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 ฿226

$7.69 ฿256

-11.70%

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

$552 ฿18.4K

$561 ฿18.7K

-1.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ฿361.6K

$11.5K ฿382.8K

-5.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$6.22 ฿207

$63.0 ฿2,097

-90.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.54 ฿1,482

$29.52 ฿982

50.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 ฿2,451

$98.0 ฿3,261

-24.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 ฿1,858

$88.5 ฿2,944

-36.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ฿15.3K

$738 ฿24.6K

-37.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 ฿9,933

$482 ฿16.0K

-38.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 ฿46.0K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-34.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 ฿25.0K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-38.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,972 ฿65.6K

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-45.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,588 ฿52.8K

$2,603 ฿86.6K

-38.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

5.57

-3.41%

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

Last update for Bang Kruai: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $461 in Bang Kruai and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Bang Kruai vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $221 vs $274, with Bang Kruai 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

Bang Kruai vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bang Kruai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,370 in Bang Kruai 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $461 in Bang Kruai versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $552 in Bang Kruai 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 Bang Kruai – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $913 in Bang Kruai versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bang Kruai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bang Kruai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bang Kruai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bang Kruai 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 Bang Kruai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.