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: $1,806 in Birgu versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,933 in Birgu versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,059 in Birgu versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Birgu is roughly 47% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Birgu is 32% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 €17.74

$4.41 ฿147

364.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 €77.7

$32.26 ฿1,073

178.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 €10.47

$8.93 ฿297

35.27%

Cappuccino

$2.75 €2.38

$2.90 ฿96.3

-5.17%

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

$2.26 €1.96

$0.88 ฿29.29

156.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.46

$0.48 ฿16.01

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 €4.01

$2.35 ฿78.2

97.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 €4.65

$3.72 ฿124

44.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.87 ฿62.1

-22.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.47 ฿48.78

-6.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 €3.78

$1.55 ฿51.6

181.94%

Eggs

$4.09 €3.55

$2.10 ฿69.9

94.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 €7.36

$19.59 ฿652

-56.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.71 €7.55

$3.42 ฿114

154.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.18 €14.02

$11.38 ฿379

42.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 €2.55

$2.98 ฿99.3

-1.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.68 ฿56.1

-26.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 €2.56

$2.21 ฿73.5

33.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$2.16 ฿71.9

31.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.06

$1.52 ฿50.7

56.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.34 ฿44.52

31.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.13 ฿37.55

107.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.82

$0.55 ฿18.18

72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.01

$4.26 ฿142

62.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 €7.20

$19.09 ฿635

-56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.41

$1.78 ฿59.2

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.12

$2.78 ฿92.6

-12.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.19

$2.23 ฿74.2

13.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.22 €12.32

$22.74 ฿756

-37.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.92

$3.03 ฿101

87.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.02 ฿34.04

15.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.60 €23.92

$3.89 ฿129

609.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.49 ฿49.60

2.68%

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

$27.2K €23.6K

$26.6K ฿884.4K

2.44%

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

$33.5K €29.0K

$27.0K ฿899.3K

23.89%

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

$107 €92.8

$102 ฿3,409

4.48%

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

$26.29 €22.78

$11.33 ฿377

132.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.44 €28.98

$17.40 ฿579

92.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.56 €40.35

$52.1 ฿1,733

-10.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$70.0 €60.7

$11.07 ฿368

532.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.58 €9.17

$7.69 ฿256

37.58%

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

$377 €327

$561 ฿18.7K

-32.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,056 €1,782

$11.5K ฿382.8K

-82.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.30 €22.79

$63.0 ฿2,097

-58.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 €29.77

$29.52 ฿982

16.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.7

$98.0 ฿3,261

5.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$88.5 ฿2,944

30.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 €889

$738 ฿24.6K

38.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 €720

$482 ฿16.0K

72.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 €1,562

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-14.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 €1,354

$1,226 ฿40.8K

27.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,956 €3,428

$3,617 ฿120.3K

9.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,841 €2,462

$2,603 ฿86.6K

9.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,994 €1,728

$494 ฿16.4K

303.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

5.57

-47.94%

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

Last update for Birgu: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Birgu and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birgu pays 304% 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: $90.0 in Birgu vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $274 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

Birgu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 47% 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.

Average pay runs 304% higher in Birgu, 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: $1,026 in Birgu versus $738 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 60% less than in Birgu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $377 in Birgu versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,806 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 $1,232 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 47% less than in Birgu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.