Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucine and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucine and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,708 per month in Bucine vs $1,250 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,544 per month in Bucine vs $2,284 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,379 per month in Bucine vs $3,317 in Phuket, rent included.

Bucine costs about 37% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Bucine sits 28% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.00 €12.26

$4.55 ฿153

207.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.68 €40.01

$46.18 ฿1,553

-1.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 €9.96

$8.84 ฿297

28.73%

Cappuccino

$1.36 €1.19

$3.06 ฿103

-55.56%

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

$2.14 €1.87

$0.73 ฿24.40

193.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.85

$0.40 ฿13.39

142.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.45

$2.43 ฿81.8

62.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.78 ฿127

6.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.39

$2.26 ฿76.0

-30.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.66

$1.81 ฿60.9

4.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.25 ฿75.8

21.33%

Eggs

$3.41 €2.99

$2.25 ฿75.5

51.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.30 €16.03

$19.51 ฿656

-6.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.58 €11.02

$3.65 ฿123

244.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.39 €19.61

$13.05 ฿439

71.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.85

$3.23 ฿109

-34.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.62 ฿54.4

8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.40

$2.38 ฿80.1

15.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 €2.73

$2.03 ฿68.1

53.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.53 ฿51.6

19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.50 ฿50.5

8.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.06

$0.98 ฿32.91

23.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.46

$0.52 ฿17.39

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.10

$4.44 ฿149

56.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 €5.91

$18.32 ฿616

-63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.70

$1.86 ฿62.7

4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.83

$2.68 ฿90.1

20.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.41 ฿47.46

26.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.21 €37.84

$11.70 ฿393

269.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 €3.52

$3.11 ฿105

29.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.04 ฿35.06

6.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.80 €10.33

$14.11 ฿474

-16.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.31 ฿44.10

58.78%

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

$33.6K €29.5K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

20.96%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

4.52%

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

$243 €213

$122 ฿4,118

98.34%

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

$12.13 €10.63

$13.59 ฿457

-10.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.18 €25.56

$18.70 ฿629

56.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 €48.69

$60.5 ฿2,034

-8.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.45 €20.54

$16.98 ฿571

38.10%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €9.05

$9.07 ฿305

13.89%

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

$573 €502

$706 ฿23.8K

-18.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K €11.4K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-17.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 €71.2

$58.6 ฿1,969

38.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.2 €57.9

$35.36 ฿1,189

87.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 €77.5

$115 ฿3,883

-23.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €119

$83.7 ฿2,816

62.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 €647

$626 ฿21.0K

18.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 €506

$445 ฿15.0K

29.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,056

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-40.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 €795

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-39.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,714 €2,377

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-22.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,922 €1,683

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-25.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

5.33

-9.94%

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

Last update for Bucine: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Bucine versus $626 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Bucine versus $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $341 in Bucine vs $289 in Phuket – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Bucine vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bucine is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,562 per month in Bucine and $1,875 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Bucine, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Bucine and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Bucine at $1,708. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bucine it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bucine makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.