Cost of Living Comparison Between Best and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Best and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,269 per month in Best vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,161 per month in Best vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,053 per month in Best vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Best costs about 84% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Best sits 69% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.00 €17.93

$4.63 ฿151

353.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 €78.8

$46.84 ฿1,523

97.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 €10.05

$8.84 ฿287

33.14%

Cappuccino

$3.50 €2.99

$3.00 ฿97.4

16.67%

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

$3.16 €2.70

$0.74 ฿24.11

327.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.37

$0.37 ฿11.88

651.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 €4.36

$2.44 ฿79.3

109.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 €5.05

$3.61 ฿117

63.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.97

$2.26 ฿73.5

-49.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.84 ฿59.8

9.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.82

$2.24 ฿73.0

47.32%

Eggs

$4.62 €3.95

$2.32 ฿75.3

99.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.33 €11.39

$19.67 ฿639

-32.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.34 €13.96

$3.65 ฿119

347.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.78 €14.33

$13.10 ฿426

28.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 €1.85

$3.39 ฿110

-36.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 €2.22

$1.64 ฿53.4

58.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.67

$2.41 ฿78.5

-19.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.26

$2.03 ฿66.0

88.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.81

$1.56 ฿50.6

35.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.50 ฿48.66

35.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.02 ฿33.30

21.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.45

$0.49 ฿15.91

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.31 €8.80

$4.45 ฿145

131.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.99 €5.11

$18.88 ฿614

-68.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$1.78 ฿57.7

-12.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.31

$2.75 ฿89.5

-1.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 €2.19

$1.40 ฿45.54

82.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 €62.0

$11.48 ฿373

532.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 €2.92

$3.12 ฿101

9.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.00 ฿32.48

110.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.85 €24.64

$14.09 ฿458

104.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.94

$1.35 ฿43.93

68.15%

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

$25.6K €21.9K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-5.72%

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

$27.3K €23.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-17.15%

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

$168 €144

$125 ฿4,063

34.77%

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

$22.43 €19.15

$13.57 ฿441

65.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.39 €39.62

$18.52 ฿602

150.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.78 €25.43

$61.5 ฿1,999

-51.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 €18.32

$16.84 ฿547

27.38%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 €12.72

$9.19 ฿299

62.13%

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

$1,157 €988

$698 ฿22.7K

65.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,044 €4,307

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-67.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 €54.9

$57.8 ฿1,878

11.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.90 €26.39

$35.24 ฿1,146

-12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 €73.7

$113 ฿3,677

-23.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 €57.8

$86.4 ฿2,808

-21.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 €1,563

$616 ฿20.0K

197.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 €949

$446 ฿14.5K

149.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,585 €2,208

$2,048 ฿66.6K

26.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 €1,217

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-4.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,423 €4,631

$3,779 ฿122.8K

43.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,559 €3,894

$2,649 ฿86.1K

72.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,325 €3,693

$524 ฿17.0K

725.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.33

-34.33%

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

Last update for Best: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,830 in Best versus $616 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 run about 726% higher in Best, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Best versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $292 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Best vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Best is pricier by about 84%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,403 per month in Best and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,269 in Best and $1,232 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 532% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Best at $2,269. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Best it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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