Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Air and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Air and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,059 in Bel Air versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,704 in Bel Air versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,350 in Bel Air versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Bel Air costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bel Air 20% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 MUR 318

$4.48 ฿150

51.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 MUR 2,086

$45.59 ฿1,521

-2.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 MUR 328

$8.76 ฿292

-19.98%

Cappuccino

$1.13 MUR 53.0

$2.97 ฿99.0

-61.95%

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

$1.00 MUR 46.94

$0.69 ฿22.90

44.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.03

$0.39 ฿13.04

43.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 MUR 75.3

$2.53 ฿84.4

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MUR 157

$3.75 ฿125

-10.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MUR 79.5

$2.15 ฿71.6

-20.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.55

$1.82 ฿60.6

-64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.1

$2.18 ฿72.9

-38.99%

Eggs

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.25 ฿75.0

0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 MUR 566

$20.00 ฿667

-39.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 MUR 282

$3.63 ฿121

65.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.40 MUR 581

$13.56 ฿452

-8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 MUR 93.7

$3.24 ฿108

-38.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 MUR 94.4

$1.64 ฿54.6

23.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MUR 67.1

$2.33 ฿77.8

-38.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 MUR 128

$2.07 ฿69.1

31.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.60

$1.55 ฿51.6

-36.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.03

$1.46 ฿48.54

-31.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 MUR 37.74

$0.98 ฿32.86

-17.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 MUR 37.65

$0.48 ฿16.09

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 MUR 308

$4.35 ฿145

51.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 MUR 388

$18.57 ฿620

-55.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 80.9

$1.86 ฿61.9

-6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.65 ฿88.6

-14.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 MUR 48.32

$1.42 ฿47.28

-27.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 MUR 205

$3.17 ฿106

38.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 MUR 122

$1.03 ฿34.41

153.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.94 MUR 934

$13.89 ฿463

43.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 65.6

$1.34 ฿44.84

4.48%

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

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

29.84%

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

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-15.12%

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

$48.67 MUR 2,280

$123 ฿4,105

-60.45%

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

$18.13 MUR 849

$13.77 ฿459

31.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.21 MUR 1,602

$18.33 ฿611

86.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 MUR 1,810

$60.7 ฿2,025

-36.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$6.11 MUR 286

$8.87 ฿296

-31.12%

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

$155 MUR 7,278

$688 ฿22.9K

-77.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,926 MUR 183.9K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-75.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 MUR 3,928

$59.3 ฿1,978

41.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.9 MUR 3,791

$34.69 ฿1,157

133.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 MUR 6,277

$115 ฿3,843

16.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 MUR 4,400

$83.8 ฿2,794

12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 MUR 24.2K

$621 ฿20.7K

-16.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MUR 16.8K

$446 ฿14.9K

-19.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 MUR 44.0K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-53.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 MUR 34.3K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-50.99%

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 Bel Air: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in Bel Air and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Bel Air vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $291 per month, with Bel Air 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

Bel Air vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Air wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Air the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,588 in Bel Air 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: $516 in Bel Air versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,059 per month in Bel Air versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,059 in Bel Air versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bel Air but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Air the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Air delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,059 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Air hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bel Air 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 Bel Air gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.