Cost of Living Comparison Between Bar Harbor, ME and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bar Harbor, ME and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,856 in Bar Harbor, ME versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,205 in Bar Harbor, ME versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,554 in Bar Harbor, ME versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Bar Harbor, ME is roughly 125% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bar Harbor, ME is 113% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.68 $29.68

$4.66 ฿150

536.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$46.44 ฿1,496

157.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 $11.81

$8.68 ฿280

36.06%

Cappuccino

$6.10 $6.10

$2.95 ฿95.0

106.78%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$0.70 ฿22.52

301.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.39 ฿12.70

489.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.19 $6.19

$2.53 ฿81.6

144.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.78 ฿122

117.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.22 ฿71.5

-55.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.80 ฿57.8

98.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.51 $7.51

$2.19 ฿70.4

242.92%

Eggs

$4.35 $4.35

$2.31 ฿74.5

88.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$19.34 ฿623

-14.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 $10.56

$3.77 ฿121

180.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.59 $16.59

$13.22 ฿426

25.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.33 ฿107

3.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.65 ฿53.1

1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.92 $6.92

$2.29 ฿73.7

202.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.99 ฿64.1

132.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.53 ฿49.24

83.66%

Onion (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$1.51 ฿48.77

270.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.03 ฿33.12

219.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.51 ฿16.57

376.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.73 $12.73

$4.41 ฿142

188.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$19.41 ฿625

-23.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.80 ฿58.0

3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.68 ฿86.4

15.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.43 ฿46.11

39.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.04 ฿97.9

-33.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.04 ฿33.37

60.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 $28.97

$13.68 ฿441

111.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.30 ฿41.85

-30.77%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

3.53%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

12.16%

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

$206 $206

$123 ฿3,962

67.70%

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

$54.7 $54.7

$13.82 ฿445

295.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.6 $81.6

$18.86 ฿608

332.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.56 $43.56

$61.2 ฿1,970

-28.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$14.53 $14.53

$8.87 ฿286

63.81%

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

$1,300 $1,300

$696 ฿22.4K

86.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

46.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$59.3 ฿1,910

-13.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.4 $75.4

$34.85 ฿1,123

116.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$113 ฿3,646

6.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$85.1 ฿2,740

54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 $1,632

$615 ฿19.8K

165.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 $1,344

$448 ฿14.4K

199.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,578 $2,578

$2,085 ฿67.2K

23.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 $2,250

$1,496 ฿48.2K

50.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,518 $2,518

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-32.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-12.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

5.33

25.89%

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

Last update for Bar Harbor, ME: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,632 in Bar Harbor, ME and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $120 in Bar Harbor, ME vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $291 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

Bar Harbor, ME vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bar Harbor, ME and Phuket differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($2,856 vs $1,270 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,284 in Bar Harbor, ME and $1,904 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: $1,632 in Bar Harbor, ME versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,300 in Bar Harbor, ME versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $120 in Bar Harbor, ME. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,856 in Bar Harbor, ME, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Bar Harbor, ME. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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, Bar Harbor, ME 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 125% less than in Bar Harbor, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.