Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonao and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonao and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $695 in Bonao versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,087 in Bonao versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,480 in Bonao versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Bonao costs roughly 45% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bonao 48% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.60 DOP 328

$4.56 ฿149

22.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.70 DOP 1,564

$46.63 ฿1,519

-42.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 DOP 292

$8.47 ฿276

-41.20%

Cappuccino

$1.97 DOP 116

$3.03 ฿98.6

-34.98%

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

$1.00 DOP 58.5

$0.69 ฿22.45

44.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 DOP 49.08

$0.37 ฿11.92

127.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 DOP 143

$2.49 ฿81.0

-2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 DOP 183

$3.66 ฿119

-14.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 DOP 80.8

$2.18 ฿71.0

-36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 DOP 82.8

$1.90 ฿62.0

-25.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 DOP 55.4

$2.20 ฿71.6

-56.82%

Eggs

$1.60 DOP 93.9

$2.22 ฿72.4

-27.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 DOP 420

$19.99 ฿651

-64.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 DOP 325

$3.66 ฿119

51.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.70 DOP 627

$13.25 ฿432

-19.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 DOP 137

$3.23 ฿105

-27.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 DOP 35.19

$1.70 ฿55.3

-64.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 DOP 130

$2.39 ฿78.0

-7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 DOP 77.4

$2.08 ฿67.7

-36.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 DOP 129

$1.59 ฿51.8

38.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 DOP 67.1

$1.48 ฿48.31

-22.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 DOP 47.12

$1.03 ฿33.54

-22.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 DOP 33.13

$0.52 ฿16.83

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.67 DOP 332

$4.25 ฿138

33.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 DOP 423

$18.79 ฿612

-61.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 DOP 145

$1.76 ฿57.2

40.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 DOP 191

$2.76 ฿89.8

18.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 DOP 32.04

$1.36 ฿44.32

-59.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.88 DOP 1,574

$11.36 ฿370

136.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 DOP 198

$3.14 ฿102

7.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 DOP 129

$1.04 ฿33.74

111.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 DOP 146

$13.77 ฿448

-81.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 DOP 74.1

$1.34 ฿43.79

-5.22%

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

$26.9K DOP 1.6M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-2.87%

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

$31.1K DOP 1.8M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-8.22%

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

$74.8 DOP 4,384

$124 ฿4,025

-39.45%

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

$25.29 DOP 1,482

$13.52 ฿440

87.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 DOP 1,994

$18.69 ฿609

82.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.29 DOP 1,013

$61.8 ฿2,013

-72.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$2.59 DOP 152

$9.14 ฿298

-71.66%

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

$264 DOP 15.5K

$703 ฿22.9K

-62.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,104 DOP 474.7K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-48.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 DOP 3,564

$59.5 ฿1,937

2.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 DOP 3,034

$35.07 ฿1,142

47.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.31 DOP 2,010

$115 ฿3,754

-70.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.16 DOP 2,001

$84.1 ฿2,737

-59.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$147 DOP 8,582

$619 ฿20.1K

-76.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$102 DOP 5,992

$433 ฿14.1K

-76.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$292 DOP 17.1K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-85.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 DOP 12.6K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-85.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

125.14%

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

Last update for Bonao: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $147 in Bonao and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Bonao vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $293 per month, with Bonao 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

Bonao vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bonao and Phuket differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($695 vs $1,261 including rent). Bonao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,042 in Bonao and $1,892 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: $147 in Bonao versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bonao runs roughly 137% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $264 in Bonao versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $695 in Bonao versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bonao but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bonao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bonao 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 Bonao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.