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: $2,253 in Forbes versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,312 in Forbes versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,370 in Forbes versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Forbes is roughly 83% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Forbes is 68% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 A$22.26

$4.63 ฿151

245.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 A$107

$46.84 ฿1,523

64.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 A$13.28

$8.84 ฿287

8.03%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.70

$3.00 ฿97.4

12.67%

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

$2.61 A$3.63

$0.74 ฿24.11

252.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.02

$0.37 ฿11.88

486.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 A$9.06

$2.44 ฿79.3

167.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.63

$3.61 ฿117

91.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 A$1.97

$2.26 ฿73.5

-37.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.38

$1.84 ฿59.8

32.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.75

$2.24 ฿73.0

-11.61%

Eggs

$4.36 A$6.06

$2.32 ฿75.3

87.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.01

$19.67 ฿639

-56.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 A$11.98

$3.65 ฿119

136.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 A$19.10

$13.10 ฿426

4.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.50

$3.39 ฿110

-4.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.91

$1.64 ฿53.4

71.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.10

$2.41 ฿78.5

22.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.66

$2.03 ฿66.0

100.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.32

$1.56 ฿50.6

53.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.92

$1.50 ฿48.66

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 A$2.93

$1.02 ฿33.30

106.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.13

$0.49 ฿15.91

212.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.13 A$43.28

$4.45 ฿145

599.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 A$18.73

$18.88 ฿614

-28.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.48 A$6.22

$1.78 ฿57.7

151.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.27

$2.75 ฿89.5

90.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.64

$1.40 ฿45.54

87.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 A$89.0

$11.48 ฿373

458.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.92

$3.12 ฿101

13.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 A$2.13

$1.00 ฿32.48

53.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 A$46.21

$14.09 ฿458

135.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.57

$1.35 ฿43.93

-16.30%

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

$28.6K A$39.8K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

5.27%

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

$22.3K A$31.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-32.28%

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

$186 A$258

$125 ฿4,063

48.80%

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

$27.73 A$38.55

$13.57 ฿441

104.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 A$74.0

$18.52 ฿602

187.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.41 A$68.7

$61.5 ฿1,999

-19.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 A$21.52

$16.84 ฿547

-8.08%

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 A$18.32

$9.19 ฿299

43.42%

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

$1,600 A$2,224

$698 ฿22.7K

129.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.4K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-24.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 A$94.4

$57.8 ฿1,878

17.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$71.2

$35.24 ฿1,146

45.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 A$136

$113 ฿3,677

-13.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$150

$86.4 ฿2,808

24.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,777

$616 ฿20.0K

107.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 A$1,488

$446 ฿14.5K

140.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 A$2,816

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-1.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 A$2,336

$1,492 ฿48.5K

12.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,262 A$8,704

$3,779 ฿122.8K

65.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,125 A$7,124

$2,649 ฿86.1K

93.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,278 in Forbes and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Forbes vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $292 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 83% in total monthly costs ($2,253 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,380 in Forbes and $1,847 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: $1,278 in Forbes versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,253 per month in Forbes versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 458% less than in Forbes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,253 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 83% less than in Forbes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.