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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,393 per month in Budaors vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Budaors vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,681 per month in Budaors vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Budaors costs about 13% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Budaors sits 4% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.65 Ft 3,622

$4.63 ฿151

151.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.5 Ft 16.0K

$46.84 ฿1,523

9.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 Ft 2,635

$8.84 ฿287

-4.07%

Cappuccino

$2.33 Ft 724

$3.00 ฿97.4

-22.33%

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

$1.74 Ft 541

$0.74 ฿24.11

135.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 Ft 418

$0.37 ฿11.88

264.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 Ft 745

$2.44 ฿79.3

-1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 Ft 920

$3.61 ฿117

-18.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 Ft 325

$2.26 ฿73.5

-53.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 Ft 474

$1.84 ฿59.8

-17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 Ft 644

$2.24 ฿73.0

-7.59%

Eggs

$3.12 Ft 971

$2.32 ฿75.3

34.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 Ft 3,158

$19.67 ฿639

-48.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 Ft 1,909

$3.65 ฿119

68.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 Ft 4,161

$13.10 ฿426

2.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 570

$3.39 ฿110

-46.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 Ft 616

$1.64 ฿53.4

20.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 Ft 671

$2.41 ฿78.5

-10.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 Ft 1,004

$2.03 ฿66.0

59.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 Ft 365

$1.56 ฿50.6

-24.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 Ft 440

$1.50 ฿48.66

-5.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 Ft 466

$1.02 ฿33.30

47.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 Ft 179

$0.49 ฿15.91

16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 Ft 2,066

$4.45 ฿145

49.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 Ft 1,505

$18.88 ฿614

-74.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 Ft 353

$1.78 ฿57.7

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 Ft 532

$2.75 ฿89.5

-37.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 Ft 393

$1.40 ฿45.54

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.75 Ft 4,273

$11.48 ฿373

19.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 Ft 1,007

$3.12 ฿101

3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 Ft 372

$1.00 ฿32.48

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 Ft 5,884

$14.09 ฿458

34.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 Ft 573

$1.35 ฿43.93

36.30%

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

$25.6K Ft 8.0M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-5.76%

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

$31.3K Ft 9.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-4.88%

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

$146 Ft 45.2K

$125 ฿4,063

16.44%

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

$26.28 Ft 8,169

$13.57 ฿441

93.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.34 Ft 6,011

$18.52 ฿602

4.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.6 Ft 21.6K

$61.5 ฿1,999

13.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.40 Ft 3,233

$16.84 ฿547

-38.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 Ft 2,794

$9.19 ฿299

-2.18%

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

$463 Ft 144.0K

$698 ฿22.7K

-33.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,053 Ft 2.5M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-48.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 Ft 21.1K

$57.8 ฿1,878

17.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.46 Ft 12.0K

$35.24 ฿1,146

9.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 Ft 28.2K

$113 ฿3,677

-19.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 Ft 28.3K

$86.4 ฿2,808

5.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 Ft 164.7K

$616 ฿20.0K

-13.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 Ft 163.7K

$446 ฿14.5K

18.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 Ft 254.9K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-59.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 Ft 250.9K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-45.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 Ft 1.3M

$3,779 ฿122.8K

8.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,932 Ft 1.2M

$2,649 ฿86.1K

48.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,720 Ft 534.5K

$524 ฿17.0K

228.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

5.33

40.71%

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

Last update for Budaors: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $530 in Budaors versus $616 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 228% 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 $51.0 in Budaors versus $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $232 in Budaors vs $292 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: $1,393 in Budaors, $1,232 in Phuket – roughly 13% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,090 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 26% 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 $51.0 in Budaors and $47.00 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 $1,393. 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 $1,393 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.