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: $723 in Brades versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,939 in Brades versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Brades versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Brades costs roughly 43% 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

$18.19 EC$49.12

$4.70 ฿153

287.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.80 EC$129

$45.37 ฿1,482

5.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 EC$20.36

$8.43 ฿275

-10.56%

Cappuccino

$6.45 EC$17.42

$2.93 ฿95.6

120.14%

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

$2.50 EC$6.75

$0.69 ฿22.40

262.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 EC$3.73

$0.37 ฿11.99

272.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 EC$6.92

$2.41 ฿78.6

6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 EC$12.19

$3.72 ฿122

21.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.37 EC$9.10

$2.23 ฿72.9

51.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 EC$7.85

$1.83 ฿59.8

59.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

Eggs

$7.30 EC$19.71

$2.21 ฿72.3

230.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 EC$16.10

$19.74 ฿645

-69.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 EC$24.88

$3.63 ฿119

153.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.85 EC$64.4

$13.53 ฿442

76.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 EC$8.69

$3.28 ฿107

-1.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 EC$12.29

$2.08 ฿68.1

118.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 EC$6.15

$1.48 ฿48.36

54.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.30 EC$14.31

$0.99 ฿32.29

435.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

Wine (Bottle)

$22.59 EC$61.0

$19.38 ฿633

16.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 EC$11.68

$2.71 ฿88.6

59.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 EC$5.05

$1.37 ฿44.79

36.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

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

$22.3K EC$60.1K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-21.01%

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

$16.6K EC$44.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-49.50%

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

$122 ฿3,975

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

$40.93 EC$111

$13.57 ฿443

201.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 EC$148

$60.2 ฿1,967

-9.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

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

$693 ฿22.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 EC$3,428

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-39.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 EC$3,480

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-14.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,307 EC$3,528

$508 ฿16.6K

157.20%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Brades pays 157% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Brades vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $293 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 75% 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.

Brades pays 157% more on average, 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 $723 per month in Brades versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $723 in Brades versus $1,265 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 $723 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 75% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.