Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,273 in Forbes versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,310 in Forbes versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,347 in Forbes versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Forbes is roughly 80% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Forbes is 69% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 A$23.02

$4.56 ฿149

257.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 A$112

$46.63 ฿1,519

70.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 A$13.91

$8.47 ฿276

16.17%

Cappuccino

$3.39 A$4.79

$3.03 ฿98.6

11.88%

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

$2.53 A$3.58

$0.69 ฿22.45

266.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$3.01

$0.37 ฿11.92

475.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.37

$2.49 ฿81.0

166.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 A$10.30

$3.66 ฿119

99.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.09

$2.18 ฿71.0

-32.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.43

$1.90 ฿62.0

27.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 A$2.86

$2.20 ฿71.6

-7.73%

Eggs

$4.27 A$6.03

$2.22 ฿72.4

92.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 A$11.97

$19.99 ฿651

-57.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 A$11.73

$3.66 ฿119

126.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 A$19.47

$13.25 ฿432

4.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.70

$3.23 ฿105

3.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 A$3.99

$1.70 ฿55.3

65.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.15

$2.39 ฿78.0

23.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.64

$2.08 ฿67.7

91.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.38

$1.59 ฿51.8

50.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.06

$1.48 ฿48.31

45.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$2.96

$1.03 ฿33.54

103.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.16

$0.52 ฿16.83

194.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.58 A$43.20

$4.25 ฿138

619.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 A$20.93

$18.79 ฿612

-21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 A$6.54

$1.76 ฿57.2

163.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 A$7.68

$2.76 ฿89.8

97.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.71

$1.36 ฿44.32

92.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 A$90.8

$11.36 ฿370

465.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 A$5.18

$3.14 ฿102

16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.04 ฿33.74

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.96 A$47.99

$13.77 ฿448

146.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.60

$1.34 ฿43.79

-15.67%

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

$29.3K A$41.4K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

5.84%

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

$22.9K A$32.3K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-32.48%

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

$185 A$262

$124 ฿4,025

50.04%

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

$27.92 A$39.45

$13.52 ฿440

106.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.5

$18.69 ฿609

185.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.93 A$67.7

$61.8 ฿2,013

-22.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 A$22.47

$17.25 ฿562

-7.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 A$18.50

$9.14 ฿298

43.22%

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

$1,648 A$2,328

$703 ฿22.9K

134.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K A$17.3K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-22.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 A$94.4

$59.5 ฿1,937

12.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.78 A$70.3

$35.07 ฿1,142

41.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 A$138

$115 ฿3,754

-15.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$84.1 ฿2,737

28.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 A$1,811

$619 ฿20.1K

107.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 A$1,530

$433 ฿14.1K

150.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 A$2,841

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-2.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 A$2,416

$1,511 ฿49.2K

13.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,284 A$8,879

$3,646 ฿118.7K

72.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,056 A$7,144

$2,626 ฿85.5K

92.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

5.33

18.95%

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

Last update for Forbes: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,282 in Forbes and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Forbes vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $293 per month, with Phuket 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

Forbes vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Forbes and Phuket differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,273 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,410 in Forbes and $1,892 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: $1,282 in Forbes versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,273 per month in Forbes versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 466% less than in Forbes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,273 in Forbes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Forbes. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Forbes 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Forbes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.