Cost of Living Comparison Between Budaiya and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Budaiya and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $809 in Budaiya versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,284 in Budaiya versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,759 in Budaiya versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Budaiya costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Budaiya 41% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.51 BHD 2.45

$4.66 ฿154

39.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 BHD 19.60

$32.22 ฿1,065

61.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 BHD 2.47

$8.68 ฿287

-24.42%

Cappuccino

$4.86 BHD 1.83

$2.90 ฿95.8

67.59%

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

$0.89 BHD 0.33

$0.84 ฿27.89

5.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 BHD 0.10

$0.49 ฿16.16

-46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 BHD 2.48

$2.48 ฿82.0

164.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.08 BHD 3.80

$3.73 ฿123

170.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 BHD 0.53

$1.89 ฿62.3

-25.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 BHD 0.42

$1.41 ฿46.54

-21.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 BHD 0.86

$1.62 ฿53.6

41.36%

Eggs

$2.32 BHD 0.88

$2.24 ฿74.1

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 BHD 3.36

$19.84 ฿656

-55.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 BHD 2.46

$3.48 ฿115

87.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.71 BHD 3.28

$11.37 ฿376

-23.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 BHD 0.89

$2.90 ฿95.8

-18.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 BHD 0.89

$1.72 ฿57.0

37.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 BHD 0.72

$2.27 ฿75.1

-16.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 BHD 0.54

$2.13 ฿70.4

-31.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 BHD 0.40

$1.47 ฿48.72

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 BHD 0.54

$1.42 ฿46.92

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 BHD 0.56

$1.10 ฿36.25

35.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BHD 0.31

$0.60 ฿19.76

38.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 BHD 2.03

$4.31 ฿142

24.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.38 BHD 6.93

$18.60 ฿615

-1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 BHD 1.37

$1.80 ฿59.5

101.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 BHD 0.98

$2.97 ฿98.0

-12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 BHD 2.01

$3.10 ฿102

72.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.49 BHD 1.31

$1.08 ฿35.56

223.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.10 BHD 6.07

$3.87 ฿128

316.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 BHD 0.26

$1.43 ฿47.16

-51.75%

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

$37.5K BHD 14.1K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

34.93%

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

$20.3K BHD 7,659

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-24.69%

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

$153 BHD 57.7

$105 ฿3,462

46.03%

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

$24.90 BHD 9.39

$11.39 ฿376

118.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.69 BHD 13.45

$17.54 ฿580

103.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$10.55 BHD 3.98

$7.78 ฿257

35.60%

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

$492 BHD 186

$576 ฿19.0K

-14.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K BHD 4,161

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-4.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 BHD 18.87

$63.6 ฿2,103

-21.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 BHD 21.39

$29.10 ฿961

94.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 BHD 32.68

$96.2 ฿3,179

-9.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 BHD 33.32

$90.0 ฿2,974

-1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

5.57

11.49%

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

Last update for Budaiya: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Budaiya vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $275, with Budaiya cheaper for home cooking.

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

Budaiya vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budaiya wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Budaiya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,214 in Budaiya and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $809 per month in Budaiya versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $809 in Budaiya versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Budaiya but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Budaiya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Budaiya delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $809 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Budaiya hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Budaiya 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 Budaiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.