Cost of Living Comparison Between Bursa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bursa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,041 in Bursa versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Bursa versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,204 in Bursa versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Bursa costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bursa 22% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.48 ₺426

$4.66 ฿150

103.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.81 ₺1,385

$46.44 ฿1,496

-33.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 ₺336

$8.68 ฿280

-13.94%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ₺123

$2.95 ฿95.0

-7.12%

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

$1.13 ₺50.7

$0.70 ฿22.52

61.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₺19.22

$0.39 ฿12.70

10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ₺95.8

$2.53 ฿81.6

-15.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ₺100

$3.78 ฿122

-41.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 ₺41.95

$2.22 ฿71.5

-58.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 ₺35.02

$1.80 ฿57.8

-56.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 ₺87.9

$2.19 ฿70.4

-10.96%

Eggs

$1.96 ₺88.0

$2.31 ฿74.5

-15.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 ₺425

$19.34 ฿623

-51.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 ₺261

$3.77 ฿121

54.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 ₺851

$13.22 ฿426

43.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 ₺66.7

$3.33 ฿107

-55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺103

$1.65 ฿53.1

38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 ₺57.8

$2.29 ฿73.7

-43.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ₺70.3

$1.99 ฿64.1

-21.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ₺33.37

$1.53 ฿49.24

-51.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₺20.60

$1.51 ฿48.77

-69.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 ₺39.82

$1.03 ฿33.12

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₺12.40

$0.51 ฿16.57

-45.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 ₺99.7

$4.41 ฿142

-49.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₺496

$19.41 ฿625

-43.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₺91.6

$1.80 ฿58.0

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₺89.7

$2.68 ฿86.4

-25.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 ₺75.9

$1.43 ฿46.11

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.58 ₺2,184

$11.70 ฿377

315.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₺39.15

$3.04 ฿97.9

-71.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₺27.66

$1.04 ฿33.37

-40.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.93 ₺401

$13.68 ฿441

-34.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺54.5

$1.30 ฿41.85

-6.92%

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

$41.4K ₺1.9M

$27.9K ฿898.9K

48.27%

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

$43.8K ₺2.0M

$33.0K ฿1.1M

32.60%

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

$56.0 ₺2,516

$123 ฿3,962

-54.48%

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

$9.80 ₺441

$13.82 ฿445

-29.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.65 ₺524

$18.86 ฿608

-38.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₺2,543

$61.2 ฿1,970

-7.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.76 ₺1,697

$16.81 ฿541

124.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ₺353

$8.87 ฿286

-11.50%

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

$375 ₺16.8K

$696 ฿22.4K

-46.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K ₺812.3K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

12.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 ₺2,566

$59.3 ฿1,910

-3.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.62 ₺1,961

$34.85 ฿1,123

25.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 ₺4,489

$113 ฿3,646

-11.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 ₺3,676

$85.1 ฿2,740

-3.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 ₺19.6K

$615 ฿19.8K

-29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ₺15.5K

$448 ฿14.4K

-22.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 ₺36.0K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-61.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ₺23.1K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-65.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,341 ₺60.3K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-64.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₺55.0K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-54.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,054 ₺47.4K

$534 ฿17.2K

97.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.62

5.33

699.62%

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

Last update for Bursa: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Bursa and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bursa pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31 in Bursa vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $291 per month, with Bursa cheaper across the board.

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

Bursa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bursa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bursa pays 98% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $437 in Bursa versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bursa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,041 in Bursa versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bursa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bursa 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 Bursa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.