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: $2,608 in Forbes versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,730 in Forbes versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,852 in Forbes versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Forbes is roughly 106% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Forbes is 89% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$24.62

$4.66 ฿154

278.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 A$121

$32.22 ฿1,065

168.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 A$14.98

$8.68 ฿287

23.73%

Cappuccino

$4.14 A$5.77

$2.90 ฿95.8

42.76%

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

$3.03 A$4.23

$0.84 ฿27.89

260.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.19

$0.49 ฿16.16

367.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 A$10.91

$2.48 ฿82.0

215.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 A$10.45

$3.73 ฿123

101.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.32

$1.89 ฿62.3

-12.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 A$3.94

$1.41 ฿46.54

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.28

$1.62 ฿53.6

45.68%

Eggs

$5.16 A$7.20

$2.24 ฿74.1

130.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 A$13.53

$19.84 ฿656

-51.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.34 A$13.02

$3.48 ฿115

168.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 A$21.44

$11.37 ฿376

35.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.21

$2.90 ฿95.8

28.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.30

$1.72 ฿57.0

79.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.67

$2.27 ฿75.1

47.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 A$6.83

$2.13 ฿70.4

130.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.64

$1.47 ฿48.72

77.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.44

$1.42 ฿46.92

73.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 A$3.53

$1.10 ฿36.25

130.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.30

$0.60 ฿19.76

175.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.79 A$55.5

$4.31 ฿142

823.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.53 A$20.26

$18.60 ฿615

-21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.21 A$7.26

$1.80 ฿59.5

189.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.72

$2.97 ฿98.0

86.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 A$4.39

$2.25 ฿74.2

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.1 A$120

$23.49 ฿776

266.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.93

$3.10 ฿102

14.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.23

$1.08 ฿35.56

48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.87 A$58.4

$3.87 ฿128

981.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.81

$1.43 ฿47.16

-9.09%

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

$27.9K A$38.8K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

0.27%

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

$31.2K A$43.5K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

15.69%

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

$210 A$293

$105 ฿3,462

100.72%

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

$27.37 A$38.16

$11.39 ฿376

140.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 A$80.4

$17.54 ฿580

228.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 A$78.6

$54.3 ฿1,795

3.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.63 A$25.97

$11.44 ฿378

62.85%

Cinema Ticket

$16.06 A$22.39

$7.78 ฿257

106.43%

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

$2,166 A$3,020

$576 ฿19.0K

275.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K A$29.4K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

82.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.7 A$111

$63.6 ฿2,103

25.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 A$76.3

$29.10 ฿961

88.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 A$161

$96.2 ฿3,179

20.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$180

$90.0 ฿2,974

43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 A$2,020

$733 ฿24.2K

97.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 A$1,828

$501 ฿16.5K

161.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 A$3,261

$2,126 ฿70.2K

10.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 A$2,606

$1,252 ฿41.4K

49.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,620 A$9,230

$3,534 ฿116.8K

87.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,241 A$7,306

$2,622 ฿86.6K

99.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

5.57

5.03%

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

Last update for Forbes: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,449 in Forbes and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $87.0 in Forbes vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $275 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 106% in total monthly costs ($2,608 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,912 in Forbes 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: $1,449 in Forbes versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,608 per month in Forbes versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 266% less than in Forbes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,608 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 106% less than in Forbes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.