Cost of Living Comparison Between Budaors and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Budaors and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,577 per month in Budaors vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,333 per month in Budaors vs $2,054 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,089 per month in Budaors vs $2,876 in Phuket, rent included.

Budaors costs about 28% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Budaors sits 15% above the global median, while Phuket is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.54 Ft 3,988

$4.41 ฿147

184.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 Ft 18.4K

$32.26 ฿1,077

79.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 Ft 3,579

$8.93 ฿298

25.98%

Cappuccino

$2.52 Ft 803

$2.90 ฿96.6

-13.10%

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

$1.59 Ft 507

$0.88 ฿29.38

80.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 Ft 637

$0.48 ฿16.06

316.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 Ft 798

$2.35 ฿78.5

6.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 Ft 928

$3.72 ฿124

-21.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 Ft 397

$1.87 ฿62.3

-33.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 Ft 518

$1.47 ฿48.94

10.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 Ft 794

$1.55 ฿51.8

61.29%

Eggs

$3.60 Ft 1,144

$2.10 ฿70.1

71.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.18 Ft 3,874

$19.59 ฿654

-37.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 Ft 2,181

$3.42 ฿114

100.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 Ft 4,774

$11.38 ฿380

31.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Ft 695

$2.98 ฿99.6

-26.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 Ft 705

$1.68 ฿56.2

32.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 Ft 786

$2.21 ฿73.7

11.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 Ft 1,325

$2.16 ฿72.1

92.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 Ft 375

$1.52 ฿50.9

-22.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 Ft 456

$1.34 ฿44.67

6.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 525

$1.13 ฿37.67

46.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 Ft 193

$0.55 ฿18.24

10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 Ft 2,660

$4.26 ฿142

96.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 Ft 1,775

$19.09 ฿637

-70.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 407

$1.78 ฿59.4

-28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 Ft 694

$2.78 ฿92.9

-21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 Ft 464

$2.23 ฿74.4

-34.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.22 Ft 4,841

$22.74 ฿759

-33.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 Ft 1,081

$3.03 ฿101

12.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 Ft 432

$1.02 ฿34.15

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 Ft 6,266

$3.89 ฿130

406.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 Ft 590

$1.49 ฿49.77

24.16%

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

$32.1K Ft 10.2M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

20.79%

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

$38.3K Ft 12.2M

$27.0K ฿902.2K

41.75%

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

$173 Ft 55.0K

$102 ฿3,420

68.69%

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

$25.12 Ft 7,990

$11.33 ฿378

121.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.75 Ft 6,920

$17.40 ฿581

25.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 Ft 24.7K

$52.1 ฿1,738

49.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 Ft 5,519

$11.07 ฿370

56.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 Ft 3,132

$7.69 ฿257

27.96%

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

$570 Ft 181.5K

$561 ฿18.7K

1.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,225 Ft 2.6M

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-28.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 32.4K

$63.0 ฿2,104

61.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.18 Ft 15.0K

$29.52 ฿986

59.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 Ft 34.1K

$98.0 ฿3,272

9.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 37.1K

$88.5 ฿2,954

31.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 Ft 184.7K

$738 ฿24.6K

-21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 Ft 177.9K

$482 ฿16.1K

15.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 Ft 272.8K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-59.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 Ft 269.6K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-30.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,233 Ft 1.3M

$3,617 ฿120.7K

17.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,837 Ft 1.2M

$2,603 ฿86.9K

47.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,747 Ft 555.6K

$494 ฿16.5K

253.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

5.57

17.77%

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

Last update for Budaors: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $581 in Budaors versus $738 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 254% higher in Budaors, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Budaors versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Budaors vs $274 in Phuket – so Budaors 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

Budaors vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,577 in Budaors, $1,232 in Phuket – roughly 28% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,365 per month in Budaors and $1,847 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Budaors – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Budaors and $32.00 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 $1,232, than in Budaors at $1,577. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budaors it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,232 in Phuket to $1,577 in Budaors. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Budaors makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.