Cost of Living Comparison Between Bourges and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bourges and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,047 in Bourges versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,111 in Bourges versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,176 in Bourges versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Bourges is roughly 64% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bourges is 53% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.31 €15.16

$4.55 ฿153

280.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 €64.8

$46.18 ฿1,553

60.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 €11.24

$8.84 ฿297

45.25%

Cappuccino

$3.85 €3.37

$3.06 ฿103

25.82%

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

$2.84 €2.49

$0.73 ฿24.40

289.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.56

$0.40 ฿13.39

345.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.29 €7.26

$2.43 ฿81.8

241.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 €6.01

$3.78 ฿127

81.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.34

$2.26 ฿76.0

-32.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.29

$1.81 ฿60.9

44.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.27

$2.25 ฿75.8

15.11%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.68

$2.25 ฿75.5

86.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.05 €21.94

$19.51 ฿656

28.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.09 €14.09

$3.65 ฿123

340.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.21 €22.95

$13.05 ฿439

100.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.38

$3.23 ฿109

-16.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 €2.29

$1.62 ฿54.4

61.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 €3.06

$2.38 ฿80.1

46.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 €3.39

$2.03 ฿68.1

90.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 €2.53

$1.53 ฿51.6

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 €2.48

$1.50 ฿50.5

88.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.28

$0.98 ฿32.91

48.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.76

$0.52 ฿17.39

67.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.15 €12.39

$4.44 ฿149

218.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €6.91

$18.32 ฿616

-56.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.83

$1.86 ฿62.7

73.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 €2.70

$2.68 ฿90.1

15.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.41 ฿47.46

41.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.20 €42.21

$11.70 ฿393

311.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 €4.95

$3.11 ฿105

81.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.04 ฿35.06

75.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.6 €50.5

$14.11 ฿474

308.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.85

$1.31 ฿44.10

61.07%

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

$37.0K €32.4K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

33.10%

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

$36.6K €32.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

10.21%

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

$278 €244

$122 ฿4,118

127.40%

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

$22.21 €19.45

$13.59 ฿457

63.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.67 €32.99

$18.70 ฿629

101.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.40 €32.76

$60.5 ฿2,034

-38.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.30 €16.02

$16.98 ฿571

7.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 €12.29

$9.07 ฿305

54.80%

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

$290 €254

$706 ฿23.8K

-58.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.5K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-24.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €96.8

$58.6 ฿1,969

88.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 €44.41

$35.36 ฿1,189

43.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €107

$115 ฿3,883

5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €147

$83.7 ฿2,816

100.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 €682

$626 ฿21.0K

24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 €544

$445 ฿15.0K

39.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 €1,052

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-41.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 €957

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-26.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,029 €901

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-60.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,867 €2,511

$500 ฿16.8K

473.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.76

5.33

-29.46%

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

Last update for Bourges: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $779 in Bourges and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bourges pays 474% 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: $74.0 in Bourges vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $434 vs $289 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

Bourges vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 64% 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.

Average pay runs 474% higher in Bourges, 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: $779 in Bourges versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $74.0 in Bourges. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,047 per month in Bourges versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,047 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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,250 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Bourges. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.