Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Biratnagar and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Biratnagar: $319 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

15

Cost of Living Index in Biratnagar
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Biratnagar Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Biratnagar

🇳🇵 Nepal

$319

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Biratnagar and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Biratnagar and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $319 in Biratnagar versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Biratnagar $319
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $524 in Biratnagar versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Biratnagar $524
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $730 in Biratnagar versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Biratnagar $730
Phuket $2,845

Living in Biratnagar costs roughly 74% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Biratnagar 76% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.51 NPR 229

$4.40 ฿147

-65.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.13 NPR 2,147

$32.26 ฿1,078

-56.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 NPR 1,172

$8.76 ฿293

-11.99%

Cappuccino

$1.19 NPR 181

$2.83 ฿94.5

-57.95%

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

$0.34 NPR 52.1

$0.90 ฿30.14

-62.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 NPR 226

$2.55 ฿85.2

-41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NPR 327

$3.83 ฿128

-43.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.57 NPR 86.1

$1.73 ฿57.7

-67.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 NPR 58.5

$1.47 ฿49.11

-73.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 NPR 97.0

$1.51 ฿50.6

-57.62%

Eggs

$1.20 NPR 182

$2.17 ฿72.7

-44.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 NPR 683

$19.70 ฿658

-77.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 NPR 405

$3.34 ฿112

-20.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.14 NPR 477

$11.16 ฿373

-71.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 NPR 306

$2.85 ฿95.1

-29.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 NPR 113

$1.70 ฿56.9

-56.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 NPR 196

$2.19 ฿73.3

-41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 NPR 74.3

$2.05 ฿68.4

-76.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 59.7

$1.45 ฿48.57

-73.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 NPR 65.1

$1.38 ฿46.16

-68.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.27 NPR 41.06

$1.07 ฿35.69

-74.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 NPR 41.89

$0.51 ฿16.91

-45.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 NPR 388

$4.26 ฿142

-40.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 NPR 243

$1.78 ฿59.7

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 NPR 354

$2.85 ฿95.2

-18.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 NPR 26.16

$2.26 ฿75.6

-92.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.85 NPR 1,801

$22.10 ฿738

-46.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 NPR 293

$3.01 ฿101

-35.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 NPR 353

$3.86 ฿129

-39.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 NPR 181

$1.45 ฿48.45

-17.93%

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

$21.2K NPR 3.2M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-19.44%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

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

$4.23 NPR 643

$11.04 ฿369

-61.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.08 NPR 1,379

$17.14 ฿573

-47.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.91 NPR 4,240

$52.2 ฿1,744

-46.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.99 NPR 303

$11.16 ฿373

-82.17%

Cinema Ticket

$3.14 NPR 476

$7.81 ฿261

-59.80%

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

$47.49 NPR 7,216

$556 ฿18.6K

-91.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,727 NPR 262.4K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-85.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.02 NPR 3,042

$64.2 ฿2,146

-68.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.54 NPR 4,945

$28.69 ฿959

13.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.35 NPR 3,699

$95.4 ฿3,187

-74.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.47 NPR 4,477

$88.0 ฿2,940

-66.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$46.59 NPR 7,079

$737 ฿24.6K

-93.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$52.5 NPR 7,981

$462 ฿15.5K

-88.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$129 NPR 19.7K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-93.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.1 NPR 15.1K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-91.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$397 NPR 60.4K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-88.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$260 NPR 39.4K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-89.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$160 NPR 24.3K

$501 ฿16.7K

-68.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

151.35%

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

Last update for Biratnagar: October 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Biratnagar

$94 * 29.6%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 185% $174

Eating Out

Biratnagar

$63 * 19.6%

Phuket

$121 10% 93.7% $59

Accommodation & Living

Biratnagar

$53 16.5%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 780% $410

Clothing & Footwear

Biratnagar

$48 15%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 160% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Biratnagar

$34 10.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 98.3% $34

Getting Around

Biratnagar

$14 * 4.5%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 173% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Biratnagar

$13 * 4.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 836% $111

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $46.59 in Biratnagar and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 213% 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: $14.00 in Biratnagar vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $94.0 vs $269 per month, with Biratnagar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Biratnagar

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

19:04 7:04 PM

20:19 8:19 PM

1 h 15 min ahead of Biratnagar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

166,674

79,308

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NPR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Biratnagar Phuket 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Biratnagar
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Biratnagar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biratnagar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 278% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 213% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $46.59 in Biratnagar versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 185% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Biratnagar – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $319 in Biratnagar versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Biratnagar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Biratnagar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Biratnagar 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, Biratnagar 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 Biratnagar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 278% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.