Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dien Bien Phu and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Dien Bien Phu: $730 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Dien Bien Phu
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Dien Bien Phu Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Dien Bien Phu

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$730

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dien Bien Phu 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 Dien Bien Phu and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $730 in Dien Bien Phu versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Dien Bien Phu $730
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,189 in Dien Bien Phu versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Dien Bien Phu $1,189
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,648 in Dien Bien Phu versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Dien Bien Phu $1,648
Phuket $2,845

Living in Dien Bien Phu costs roughly 40% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dien Bien Phu 46% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ₫54.7K

$4.40 ฿147

-52.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.37 ₫449.8K

$32.26 ฿1,078

-46.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.36 ₫113.0K

$8.76 ฿293

-50.23%

Cappuccino

$1.89 ₫48.8K

$2.83 ฿94.5

-33.22%

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

$0.48 ₫12.5K

$0.90 ฿30.14

-46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,826

$0.47 ฿15.56

-27.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ₫22.6K

$2.55 ฿85.2

-65.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.4K

$3.83 ฿128

-61.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ₫44.7K

$1.73 ฿57.7

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.47 ฿49.11

-19.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ₫22.4K

$1.51 ฿50.6

-42.38%

Eggs

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$2.17 ฿72.7

-31.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 ₫337.4K

$19.70 ฿658

-33.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.75 ₫97.1K

$3.34 ฿112

12.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.82 ₫228.5K

$11.16 ฿373

-20.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 ₫74.4K

$2.85 ฿95.1

0.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.3K

$1.70 ฿56.9

-28.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ₫39.3K

$2.19 ฿73.3

-30.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ₫33.5K

$2.05 ฿68.4

-37.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 ₫27.8K

$1.45 ฿48.57

-26.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 ₫26.3K

$1.38 ฿46.16

-26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ₫17.9K

$1.07 ฿35.69

-35.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₫13.1K

$0.51 ฿16.91

-1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.38 ₫35.6K

$4.26 ฿142

-67.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.53 ₫272.5K

$18.58 ฿621

-43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₫22.1K

$1.78 ฿59.7

-52.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₫48.2K

$2.85 ฿95.2

-34.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,392

$2.26 ฿75.6

-85.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.20 ₫160.5K

$22.10 ฿738

-71.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₫22.0K

$3.01 ฿101

-71.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.5K

$1.06 ฿35.34

-39.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 ₫67.1K

$3.86 ฿129

-32.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$1.45 ฿48.45

-31.72%

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

$33.9K ₫877.2M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

28.70%

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

$27.3K ₫707.0M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

1.36%

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

$66.8 ₫1.7M

$96.4 ฿3,221

-30.71%

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

$6.30 ₫163.0K

$11.04 ฿369

-42.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.10 ₫209.7K

$17.14 ฿573

-52.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.36 ₫604.8K

$52.2 ฿1,744

-55.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.86 ₫229.3K

$11.16 ฿373

-20.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.21 ₫83.1K

$7.81 ฿261

-58.90%

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

$206 ₫5.3M

$556 ฿18.6K

-62.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₫391.0M

$11.6K ฿387.0K

30.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.89 ₫1.1M

$64.2 ฿2,146

-34.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.74 ₫666.4K

$28.69 ฿959

-10.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 ₫1.9M

$95.4 ฿3,187

-22.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 ₫2.3M

$88.0 ฿2,940

-0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 ₫9.9M

$737 ฿24.6K

-48.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ₫6.3M

$462 ฿15.5K

-47.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 ₫22.7M

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-58.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 ₫14.7M

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-52.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,271 ₫58.8M

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-34.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,317 ₫34.1M

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-47.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

5.57

48.65%

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

Last update for Dien Bien Phu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dien Bien Phu

$242 33.1%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 91.4% $221

Groceries & Markets

Dien Bien Phu

$200 27.4%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 34.3% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Dien Bien Phu

$103 14.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 20.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dien Bien Phu

$81 11.1%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 53.4% $43

Eating Out

Dien Bien Phu

$63 8.7%

Phuket

$121 10% 91.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Dien Bien Phu

$30 4.1%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 128% $38

Getting Around

Dien Bien Phu

$12 1.6%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 242% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $381 in Dien Bien Phu and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Dien Bien Phu vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $269 per month, with Dien Bien Phu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Dien Bien Phu

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

Same time as Dien Bien Phu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,366

79,308

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dien Bien Phu Phuket 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dien Bien Phu
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

Dien Bien Phu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dien Bien Phu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,095 in Dien Bien Phu and $1,813 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $381 in Dien Bien Phu versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dien Bien Phu – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $730 per month in Dien Bien Phu versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $730 in Dien Bien Phu versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dien Bien Phu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Dien Bien Phu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dien Bien Phu 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, Dien Bien Phu 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 Dien Bien Phu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.