Cost of Living Comparison Between Brades and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Brades and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $724 in Brades versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,915 in Brades versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,107 in Brades versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Brades costs roughly 42% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brades 46% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.76 EC$50.6

$4.55 ฿153

312.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.73 EC$132

$46.18 ฿1,554

5.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 EC$19.74

$8.84 ฿298

-17.31%

Cappuccino

$6.43 EC$17.37

$3.06 ฿103

110.13%

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

$2.45 EC$6.60

$0.73 ฿24.42

235.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 EC$3.80

$0.40 ฿13.40

252.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 EC$6.92

$2.43 ฿81.8

5.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 EC$12.11

$3.78 ฿127

18.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.34 EC$9.03

$2.26 ฿76.0

47.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 EC$7.83

$1.81 ฿60.9

60.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Eggs

$7.02 EC$18.96

$2.25 ฿75.6

212.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.91 EC$15.94

$19.51 ฿656

-69.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 EC$25.56

$3.65 ฿123

159.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.30 EC$65.6

$13.05 ฿439

86.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 EC$9.04

$3.23 ฿109

3.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 EC$11.64

$2.03 ฿68.2

112.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 EC$5.96

$1.50 ฿50.5

47.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.26 EC$14.19

$0.98 ฿32.93

436.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

Wine (Bottle)

$22.53 EC$60.8

$18.32 ฿616

22.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 EC$11.71

$2.68 ฿90.2

61.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 EC$5.05

$1.41 ฿47.49

32.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

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

$22.1K EC$59.6K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-20.64%

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

$16.9K EC$45.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-49.15%

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

$122 ฿4,120

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

$41.33 EC$112

$13.59 ฿457

204.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 EC$150

$60.5 ฿2,035

-8.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

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

$706 ฿23.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 EC$3,520

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-36.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 EC$3,521

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-12.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,271 EC$3,432

$500 ฿16.8K

154.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Brades: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Brades pays 154% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Brades vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 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

Brades vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brades wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brades the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 154% higher in Brades, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $724 per month in Brades versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $724 in Brades versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brades but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Brades the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brades delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $724 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brades hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brades 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 Brades gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.