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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,366 per month in Budaors vs $1,264 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,062 per month in Budaors vs $2,256 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,759 per month in Budaors vs $3,248 in Phuket, rent included.

Budaors costs about 8% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Budaors sits 3% above the global median, while Phuket is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.44 Ft 3,606

$4.48 ฿150

155.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 Ft 16.1K

$45.59 ฿1,521

12.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 Ft 2,785

$8.76 ฿292

0.91%

Cappuccino

$2.33 Ft 733

$2.97 ฿99.0

-21.55%

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

$1.76 Ft 555

$0.69 ฿22.90

155.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 Ft 427

$0.39 ฿13.04

246.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 Ft 758

$2.53 ฿84.4

-4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 Ft 929

$3.75 ฿125

-21.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 Ft 325

$2.15 ฿71.6

-52.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 Ft 500

$1.82 ฿60.6

-12.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 Ft 641

$2.18 ฿72.9

-6.88%

Eggs

$3.10 Ft 978

$2.25 ฿75.0

37.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 Ft 3,097

$20.00 ฿667

-50.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 Ft 2,000

$3.63 ฿121

74.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 Ft 4,245

$13.56 ฿452

-0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 Ft 589

$3.24 ฿108

-42.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 Ft 601

$1.64 ฿54.6

16.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 655

$2.33 ฿77.8

-10.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 Ft 1,008

$2.07 ฿69.1

54.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 Ft 366

$1.55 ฿51.6

-25.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 Ft 447

$1.46 ฿48.54

-2.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 Ft 483

$0.98 ฿32.86

56.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 Ft 189

$0.48 ฿16.09

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 Ft 2,142

$4.35 ฿145

56.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.76 Ft 1,500

$18.57 ฿620

-74.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 Ft 353

$1.86 ฿61.9

-39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 Ft 518

$2.65 ฿88.6

-37.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Ft 405

$1.42 ฿47.28

-9.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.72 Ft 4,323

$11.57 ฿386

18.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 Ft 1,018

$3.17 ฿106

1.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 Ft 359

$1.03 ฿34.41

10.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.08 Ft 6,010

$13.89 ฿463

37.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 Ft 579

$1.34 ฿44.84

37.31%

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

$25.5K Ft 8.0M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-8.11%

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

$32.1K Ft 10.1M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-3.85%

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

$147 Ft 46.3K

$123 ฿4,105

19.50%

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

$26.54 Ft 8,361

$13.77 ฿459

92.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.33 Ft 6,091

$18.33 ฿611

5.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.0 Ft 22.4K

$60.7 ฿2,025

17.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.47 Ft 3,299

$17.16 ฿573

-38.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 Ft 2,842

$8.87 ฿296

1.69%

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

$449 Ft 141.4K

$688 ฿22.9K

-34.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,357 Ft 2.0M

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-59.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 Ft 20.7K

$59.3 ฿1,978

11.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.33 Ft 12.1K

$34.69 ฿1,157

10.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 Ft 29.1K

$115 ฿3,843

-19.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.8 Ft 29.2K

$83.8 ฿2,794

10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 Ft 168.3K

$621 ฿20.7K

-14.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 Ft 167.6K

$446 ฿14.9K

19.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 Ft 254.0K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-60.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 Ft 253.1K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-46.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 Ft 1.3M

$3,455 ฿115.3K

20.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,776 Ft 1.2M

$2,531 ฿84.4K

49.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,688 Ft 531.9K

$494 ฿16.5K

242.02%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Budaors versus $621 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 242% 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 $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $232 in Budaors vs $291 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: $1,366 in Budaors, $1,264 in Phuket – roughly 8% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,048 per month in Budaors and $1,896 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 $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 $1,264, than in Budaors at $1,366. 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 $1,264 in Phuket to $1,366 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.