Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busia and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $73.2 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$73.2

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busia and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Busia and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $73.2 in Busia versus $1,190 in Phuket.

Busia $73.2
Phuket $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $118 in Busia versus $2,006 in Phuket.

Busia $118
Phuket $2,006

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $163 in Busia versus $2,822 in Phuket.

Busia $163
Phuket $2,822

Living in Busia costs roughly 94% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Busia 95% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,091

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.4

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$0.29 UGX 1,171

$1.71 ฿57.4

-83.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 UGX 5,020

$1.45 ฿48.62

-15.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

Eggs

$1.53 UGX 6,240

$2.10 ฿70.6

-27.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿656

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.78 UGX 15.5K

$11.14 ฿375

-66.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 UGX 9,936

$2.83 ฿95.2

-14.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.6

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.8

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 UGX 3,170

$2.15 ฿72.2

-63.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 UGX 5,954

$1.33 ฿44.59

9.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.87

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 971

$0.51 ฿17.08

-52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.15 UGX 4,708

$4.38 ฿147

-73.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 UGX 20.5K

$18.77 ฿631

-73.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 UGX 3,987

$1.74 ฿58.5

-43.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 UGX 5,159

$2.78 ฿93.3

-54.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿749

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.57

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.08

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

$26.3K ฿885.8K

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

$26.2K ฿881.0K

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

$96.7 ฿3,250

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

$11.41 ฿384

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿575

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,775

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿372

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿257

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

$555 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,132

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿962

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,252

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,979

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Busia: October 4, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Busia

–

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Groceries & Markets

Busia

–

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busia

–

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Busia

–

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Eating Out

Busia

–

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Busia

–

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Getting Around

Busia

–

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Good to know

🇺🇬 Busia

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

16:41 4:41 PM

4 h ahead of Busia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,900

79,308

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.45 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.19 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,084 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,576 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.19 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busia Phuket 7,170 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Busia
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Busia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 1525% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $110 in Busia and $1,785 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 273% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $73.2 per month in Busia versus $1,190 in Phuket – a 1525% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $73.2 in Busia versus $1,190 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Busia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Busia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Busia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $73.2 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Busia 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 Busia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1525% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.