Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangor and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangor and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,909 in Bangor versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,076 in Bangor versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,243 in Bangor versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Bangor is roughly 55% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bangor is 40% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.11 £18.01

$4.41 ฿147

446.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 £62.2

$32.26 ฿1,077

158.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 £7.62

$8.93 ฿298

14.11%

Cappuccino

$4.45 £3.33

$2.90 ฿96.6

53.45%

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

$1.94 £1.45

$0.88 ฿29.38

120.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 £1.48

$0.48 ฿16.06

312.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 £4.99

$2.35 ฿78.5

184.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 £5.55

$3.72 ฿124

99.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.87 ฿62.3

-0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.47 ฿48.94

58.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 £1.63

$1.55 ฿51.8

41.29%

Eggs

$3.95 £2.95

$2.10 ฿70.1

88.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 £7.07

$19.59 ฿654

-51.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.85 £8.11

$3.42 ฿114

217.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.06 £11.26

$11.38 ฿380

32.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.33

$2.98 ฿99.6

4.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.68 ฿56.2

-5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.18

$2.21 ฿73.7

32.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 £2.54

$2.16 ฿72.1

57.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.52 ฿50.9

11.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.34 ฿44.67

20.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.13 ฿37.67

12.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.18

$0.55 ฿18.24

187.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.81 £17.79

$4.26 ฿142

458.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 £7.99

$19.09 ฿637

-44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 £2.20

$1.78 ฿59.4

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.52

$2.78 ฿92.9

21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.97 £2.97

$2.23 ฿74.4

78.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 £71.1

$22.74 ฿759

318.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 £3.55

$3.03 ฿101

56.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 £1.55

$1.02 ฿34.15

103.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.27 £18.14

$3.89 ฿130

523.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.49 ฿49.77

30.87%

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

$39.0K £29.2K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

46.81%

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

$41.1K £30.7K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

52.17%

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

$322 £240

$102 ฿3,420

213.80%

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

$24.09 £18.00

$11.33 ฿378

112.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.97 £29.87

$17.40 ฿581

129.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.43 £32.45

$52.1 ฿1,738

-16.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 £15.06

$11.07 ฿370

82.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.42 £10.77

$7.69 ฿257

87.52%

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

$1,644 £1,229

$561 ฿18.7K

193.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K £17.0K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

97.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.2

$63.0 ฿2,104

80.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.15 £34.48

$29.52 ฿986

56.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.6

$98.0 ฿3,272

8.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 £89.6

$88.5 ฿2,954

35.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 £451

$738 ฿24.6K

-18.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 £382

$482 ฿16.1K

6.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 £973

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-38.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 £804

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-12.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,244 £3,919

$3,617 ฿120.7K

44.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,960 £2,960

$2,603 ฿86.9K

52.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,443 £1,826

$494 ฿16.5K

394.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.57

-1.26%

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

Last update for Bangor: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $604 in Bangor and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangor pays 395% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83.0 in Bangor vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $274 per month, with Phuket 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

Bangor vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 395% higher in Bangor, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $604 in Bangor versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $83.0 in Bangor. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,909 per month in Bangor versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,909 in Bangor, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Bangor. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Bangor 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Bangor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.