Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucha and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucha and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $713 in Bucha versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,114 in Bucha versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,514 in Bucha versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Bucha costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucha 47% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.65 ₴380

$4.66 ฿150

85.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.99 ₴1,362

$46.44 ฿1,496

-33.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 ₴271

$8.68 ฿280

-29.15%

Cappuccino

$1.00 ₴43.91

$2.95 ฿95.0

-66.10%

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

$0.63 ₴27.63

$0.70 ฿22.52

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₴17.29

$0.39 ฿12.70

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₴41.51

$2.53 ฿81.6

-62.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₴64.4

$3.78 ฿122

-61.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ₴45.14

$2.22 ฿71.5

-53.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₴32.49

$1.80 ฿57.8

-58.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 ₴60.7

$2.19 ฿70.4

-36.99%

Eggs

$1.50 ₴66.1

$2.31 ฿74.5

-35.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 ₴331

$19.34 ฿623

-61.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 ₴197

$3.77 ฿121

19.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 ₴347

$13.22 ฿426

-40.24%

Apples (1kg)

$0.85 ₴37.31

$3.33 ฿107

-74.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 ₴65.0

$1.65 ฿53.1

-10.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ₴83.3

$2.29 ฿73.7

-17.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 ₴97.2

$1.99 ฿64.1

11.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₴25.63

$1.53 ฿49.24

-62.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₴26.28

$1.51 ฿48.77

-60.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₴69.7

$1.03 ฿33.12

54.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₴25.52

$0.51 ฿16.57

13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 ₴113

$4.41 ฿142

-41.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.13 ₴182

$19.41 ฿625

-78.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₴37.34

$1.80 ฿58.0

-52.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₴60.0

$2.68 ฿86.4

-48.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₴15.37

$1.43 ฿46.11

-75.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 ₴90.9

$3.04 ฿97.9

-31.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₴15.25

$1.04 ฿33.37

-66.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 ₴128

$13.68 ฿441

-78.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₴58.6

$1.30 ฿41.85

2.31%

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

$31.2K ₴1.4M

$27.9K ฿898.9K

11.84%

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

$24.9K ₴1.1M

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-24.52%

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

$77.0 ₴3,386

$123 ฿3,962

-37.36%

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

$5.68 ₴250

$13.82 ฿445

-58.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.21 ₴317

$18.86 ฿608

-61.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.87 ₴1,093

$61.2 ฿1,970

-59.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.80 ₴431

$16.81 ฿541

-41.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 ₴194

$8.87 ฿286

-50.28%

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

$285 ₴12.5K

$696 ฿22.4K

-59.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,667 ₴337.0K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-52.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 ₴2,989

$59.3 ฿1,910

14.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.36 ₴631

$34.85 ฿1,123

-58.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 ₴3,374

$113 ฿3,646

-32.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 ₴3,689

$85.1 ฿2,740

-1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₴14.8K

$615 ฿19.8K

-45.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 ₴9,002

$448 ฿14.4K

-54.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₴19.6K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-78.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₴13.6K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-79.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,037 ₴45.6K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-72.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$764 ₴33.6K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-71.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ₴27.9K

$534 ฿17.2K

19.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

50.09%

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

Last update for Bucha: April 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $338 in Bucha and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucha pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31 in Bucha vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $161 vs $291 per month, with Bucha 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

Bucha vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucha and Phuket differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($713 vs $1,270 including rent). Bucha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bucha pays 19% more on average, 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: $338 in Bucha versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $713 per month in Bucha versus $1,270 in Phuket – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $713 in Bucha versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucha but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bucha 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, Bucha 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 Bucha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.