Cost of Living Comparison Between Birgu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Birgu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,751 in Birgu versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,900 in Birgu versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,049 in Birgu versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Birgu is roughly 38% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Birgu is 31% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.68 €17.79

$4.70 ฿153

340.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 €81.5

$45.37 ฿1,482

108.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.10

$8.43 ฿275

39.26%

Cappuccino

$2.90 €2.50

$2.93 ฿95.6

-1.02%

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

$2.37 €2.04

$0.69 ฿22.40

243.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.37 ฿11.99

383.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 €3.91

$2.41 ฿78.6

88.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.92

$3.72 ฿122

22.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$2.23 ฿72.9

-37.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.83 ฿59.8

-30.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 €3.75

$2.17 ฿70.8

100.46%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.53

$2.21 ฿72.3

85.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 €8.75

$19.74 ฿645

-48.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 €7.64

$3.63 ฿119

144.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 €12.09

$13.53 ฿442

3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.42

$3.28 ฿107

-14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.61 ฿52.6

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 €2.47

$2.41 ฿78.6

19.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.08 ฿68.1

37.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.53 ฿49.93

49.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.48 ฿48.36

-12.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 €2.07

$0.99 ฿32.29

143.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.51 ฿16.67

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 €5.51

$4.41 ฿144

45.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 €7.43

$19.38 ฿633

-55.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.78 ฿58.1

-7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.71 ฿88.6

-17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 €2.40

$1.37 ฿44.79

103.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.49 €12.46

$11.39 ฿372

27.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 €5.00

$3.02 ฿98.6

92.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.99 ฿32.48

2.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.92 €42.08

$14.10 ฿461

246.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.36 ฿44.51

12.50%

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

$27.2K €23.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-3.69%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

2.41%

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

$94.5 €81.3

$122 ฿3,975

-22.39%

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

$28.32 €24.36

$13.57 ฿443

108.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.43 €29.62

$18.31 ฿598

88.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.00 €39.57

$60.2 ฿1,967

-23.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 €20.28

$17.14 ฿560

37.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.40 €8.95

$8.69 ฿284

19.68%

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

$424 €365

$693 ฿22.6K

-38.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,049 €1,763

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-86.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.91 €22.28

$59.5 ฿1,944

-56.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 €29.40

$34.77 ฿1,136

-1.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$115 ฿3,743

-10.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €88.4

$83.3 ฿2,720

23.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 €895

$613 ฿20.0K

69.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 €709

$437 ฿14.3K

88.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,689 €3,173

$2,094 ฿68.4K

76.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 €1,356

$1,509 ฿49.3K

4.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,136 €3,558

$3,749 ฿122.5K

10.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,905 €2,499

$2,616 ฿85.4K

11.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,979 €1,703

$508 ฿16.6K

289.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

5.33

-16.89%

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

Last update for Birgu: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,040 in Birgu and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birgu pays 290% 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: $95.0 in Birgu vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $293, with Birgu cheaper for home cooking.

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

Birgu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Birgu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Birgu pays 290% more on average, 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: $1,040 in Birgu versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 27% less than in Birgu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $424 in Birgu versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,751 in Birgu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Birgu. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Birgu 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 38% less than in Birgu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.