Cost of Living Comparison Between Foca and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Foca and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $946 in Foca versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,406 in Foca versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Foca versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Foca costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Foca 29% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.04 BAM 11.87

$4.70 ฿154

49.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.61 BAM 27.98

$45.37 ฿1,483

-63.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 BAM 14.93

$8.43 ฿276

5.10%

Cappuccino

$1.66 BAM 2.80

$2.93 ฿95.7

-43.34%

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

$1.02 BAM 1.72

$0.69 ฿22.42

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 BAM 0.93

$0.37 ฿12.00

48.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 BAM 3.50

$2.41 ฿78.7

-13.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 BAM 4.86

$3.72 ฿122

-22.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 BAM 1.95

$2.23 ฿73.0

-47.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 BAM 1.96

$1.83 ฿59.9

-36.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 BAM 2.75

$2.17 ฿70.9

-24.88%

Eggs

$3.03 BAM 5.10

$2.21 ฿72.4

37.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 BAM 15.80

$19.74 ฿645

-52.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 BAM 9.05

$3.63 ฿119

47.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 BAM 20.61

$13.53 ฿442

-9.61%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 BAM 1.54

$3.28 ฿107

-72.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 BAM 2.67

$1.61 ฿52.7

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 BAM 3.28

$2.41 ฿78.7

-19.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 BAM 3.28

$2.08 ฿68.1

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 BAM 2.00

$1.53 ฿49.97

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 BAM 2.11

$1.48 ฿48.41

-15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 BAM 2.06

$0.99 ฿32.32

23.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 BAM 1.22

$0.51 ฿16.68

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 BAM 6.26

$4.41 ฿144

-15.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 BAM 13.95

$19.38 ฿634

-57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 BAM 1.21

$1.78 ฿58.1

-59.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 BAM 1.90

$2.71 ฿88.7

-58.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 BAM 2.95

$1.37 ฿44.83

27.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.84 BAM 58.7

$11.39 ฿372

205.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 BAM 2.46

$3.02 ฿98.7

-51.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 BAM 0.94

$0.99 ฿32.51

-43.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 BAM 15.30

$14.10 ฿461

-35.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 BAM 2.60

$1.36 ฿44.55

13.24%

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

$29.1K BAM 49.0K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

3.03%

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

$27.1K BAM 45.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-17.48%

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

$174 BAM 293

$122 ฿3,978

42.85%

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

$18.69 BAM 31.49

$13.57 ฿444

37.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.44 BAM 39.50

$18.31 ฿599

28.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.75 BAM 50.1

$60.2 ฿1,969

-50.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.01 BAM 18.54

$17.14 ฿560

-35.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.69 BAM 7.90

$8.69 ฿284

-46.03%

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

$238 BAM 401

$693 ฿22.7K

-65.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,653 BAM 6,154

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-76.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 BAM 127

$59.5 ฿1,946

26.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 BAM 62.1

$34.77 ฿1,137

6.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 BAM 121

$115 ฿3,746

-37.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 BAM 207

$83.3 ฿2,723

47.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$158 BAM 266

$613 ฿20.0K

-74.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 BAM 288

$437 ฿14.3K

-60.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 BAM 614

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-82.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 BAM 533

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-79.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,551 BAM 4,298

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-31.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 BAM 3,130

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-28.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.02

5.33

-5.82%

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

Last update for Foca: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $158 in Foca and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Foca vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $293 per month, with Foca 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

Foca vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,418 in Foca and $1,898 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: $158 in Foca versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Foca versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $946 in Foca versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foca but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Foca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foca 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, Foca 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 Foca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.