Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bourges and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,937 in Bourges, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Bourges
🇫🇷 France
$1,937
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bourges 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 Bourges and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,937 in Bourges versus $1,207 in Phuket.

  • Bourges $1,937
  • Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,009 in Bourges versus $2,037 in Phuket.

  • Bourges $3,009
  • Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,081 in Bourges versus $2,867 in Phuket.

  • Bourges $4,081
  • Phuket $2,867

Living in Bourges is roughly 60% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bourges is 43% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bourges
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.67 €14.83
$4.58 ฿153
263.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.1 €71.2
$32.48 ฿1,086
146.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.27 €11.81
$8.55 ฿286
55.20%
Cappuccino
$5.09 €4.52
$2.72 ฿91.0
87.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 €4.09
$0.94 ฿31.25
389.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 €2.51
$0.49 ฿16.39
475.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.88 €7.01
$2.59 ฿86.6
204.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.90 €6.13
$3.83 ฿128
80.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bourges
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €1.01
$1.74 ฿58.1
-34.48%
White Bread (500g)
$2.47 €2.20
$1.43 ฿47.82
72.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 €1.95
$1.53 ฿51.0
43.79%
Eggs
$4.39 €3.91
$2.17 ฿72.7
102.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.00 €19.57
$19.15 ฿640
14.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.69 €12.17
$3.30 ฿110
314.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.35 €19.88
$11.14 ฿372
100.63%
Apples (1kg)
$3.32 €2.95
$2.95 ฿98.5
12.54%
Banana (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$1.68 ฿56.1
32.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.89 €2.57
$2.30 ฿76.8
25.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.31 €3.83
$2.13 ฿71.3
102.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$1.53 ฿51.1
30.07%
Onion (1kg)
$2.48 €2.21
$1.36 ฿45.55
82.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.91 €1.69
$1.12 ฿37.44
70.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.55 ฿18.24
60.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.52 €12.92
$4.26 ฿142
240.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.83 €7.85
$18.19 ฿608
-51.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.67 €2.38
$1.74 ฿58.2
53.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 €3.11
$2.79 ฿93.3
25.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Bourges
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.87 €1.66
$2.22 ฿74.1
-15.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.81 €43.41
$22.06 ฿737
121.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.23 €8.21
$2.91 ฿97.3
217.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 €1.33
$1.01 ฿33.79
48.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.30 €40.30
$3.83 ฿128
1082.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.01
$1.49 ฿49.85
51.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K €30.4K
$26.7K ฿891.6K
27.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K €30.7K
$26.7K ฿892.7K
29.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bourges
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$243 €216
$99.4 ฿3,321
144.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.81 €6.95
$11.28 ฿377
-30.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.20 €26.86
$17.36 ฿580
73.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bourges
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.97 €32.00
$52.3 ฿1,747
-31.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.85 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.57 €12.96
$7.57 ฿253
92.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bourges
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,795 €1,597
$558 ฿18.7K
221.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.1K €9,018
$11.5K ฿383.9K
-11.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bourges
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.4
$62.9 ฿2,102
72.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.7 €46.03
$28.58 ฿955
81.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 €106
$96.1 ฿3,213
24.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 €142
$88.1 ฿2,943
81.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bourges
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$627 €558
$729 ฿24.4K
-14.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$609 €542
$460 ฿15.4K
32.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,186 €1,055
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-43.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,121 €997
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-8.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,900 €3,469
$3,459 ฿115.6K
12.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,026 €2,691
$2,489 ฿83.2K
21.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bourges
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,821 €2,510
$493 ฿16.5K
472.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
5.57
-38.96%

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

Last update for Bourges: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bourges
$609
Phuket
$460 24.5% $150
Groceries & Markets
Bourges
$394
Phuket
$268 32.1% $127
Eating Out
Bourges
$317
Phuket
$121 61.7% $196
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bourges
$281
Phuket
$128 54.4% $153
Clothing & Footwear
Bourges
$198
Phuket
$124 37.2% $74
Getting Around
Bourges
$73
Phuket
$39 46.7% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Bourges
$65
Phuket
$67 3.5% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $627 in Bourges and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bourges pays 472% 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: $80.0 in Bourges vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Bourges
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
11:16 11:16 AM
16:16 4:16 PM
5 h ahead of Bourges
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
63,702
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bourges Phuket 9,820 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bourges
  • 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
Bourges vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bourges or Phuket?
Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Bourges. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Bourges or in Phuket?
Average pay runs 472% higher in Bourges, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bourges compared to Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $627 in Bourges versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Bourges and in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $80.0 in Bourges. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Bourges compared to Phuket?
All in, you'll spend $1,937 per month in Bourges versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Bourges or in Phuket?
At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,937 in Bourges, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Bourges. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bourges or Phuket?
Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.
How safe is Bourges compared to Phuket?
Safety-wise, Bourges 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Bourges. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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