Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montana and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Montana: $833 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Montana
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Montana Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Montana

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$833

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $833 per month in Montana vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Montana $833
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,339 per month in Montana vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Montana $1,339
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,846 per month in Montana vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Montana $1,846
Phuket $2,867

Montana is about 31% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montana and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Montana 38% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.04 BGN 15.83

$4.58 ฿154

97.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.16 BGN 63.3

$32.48 ฿1,090

11.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 BGN 17.24

$8.55 ฿287

15.20%

Cappuccino

$1.39 BGN 2.43

$2.72 ฿91.3

-48.90%

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

$1.38 BGN 2.42

$0.94 ฿31.37

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

$0.49 ฿16.46

126.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$2.59 ฿86.9

-50.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 BGN 1.77

$3.83 ฿129

-73.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.96

$1.74 ฿58.3

-2.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 BGN 1.76

$1.43 ฿48.01

-30.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 BGN 3.68

$1.53 ฿51.2

37.25%

Eggs

$2.72 BGN 4.77

$2.17 ฿73.0

25.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 BGN 17.03

$19.15 ฿642

-49.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 BGN 5.68

$3.30 ฿111

-1.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 BGN 22.10

$11.14 ฿374

13.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 BGN 2.12

$2.95 ฿98.9

-58.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 BGN 3.12

$1.68 ฿56.3

5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$2.30 ฿77.1

-23.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 BGN 4.49

$2.13 ฿71.6

20.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 BGN 1.23

$1.53 ฿51.3

-54.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.36 ฿45.73

-31.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 BGN 1.58

$1.12 ฿37.59

-19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 BGN 0.86

$0.55 ฿18.31

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 BGN 6.44

$4.26 ฿143

-13.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.31 BGN 11.04

$18.19 ฿610

-65.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$1.74 ฿58.4

-48.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.97

$2.79 ฿93.7

-59.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$2.22 ฿74.3

-59.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.29 BGN 42.50

$22.06 ฿740

10.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 BGN 1.15

$2.91 ฿97.7

-77.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 BGN 0.83

$1.01 ฿33.93

-53.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 BGN 18.12

$3.83 ฿128

170.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 BGN 2.76

$1.49 ฿50.0

6.04%

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

$19.6K BGN 34.3K

$26.7K ฿895.1K

-26.53%

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

$23.7K BGN 41.5K

$26.7K ฿896.1K

-11.32%

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

$99.8 BGN 175

$99.4 ฿3,334

0.40%

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

$18.72 BGN 32.77

$11.28 ฿379

65.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.52 BGN 14.90

$17.36 ฿582

-50.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 BGN 52.3

$52.3 ฿1,754

-42.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.20 BGN 30.10

$10.85 ฿364

58.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 BGN 9.29

$7.57 ฿254

-29.85%

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

$522 BGN 914

$558 ฿18.7K

-6.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,479 BGN 9,589

$11.5K ฿385.4K

-52.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 BGN 119

$62.9 ฿2,110

7.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.05 BGN 73.6

$28.58 ฿959

47.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 BGN 166

$96.1 ฿3,226

-1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$88.1 ฿2,954

18.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$214 BGN 374

$729 ฿24.5K

-70.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 BGN 280

$460 ฿15.4K

-65.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 BGN 707

$2,096 ฿70.3K

-80.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 BGN 532

$1,222 ฿41.0K

-75.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,329 BGN 2,326

$3,459 ฿116.0K

-61.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,078 BGN 1,886

$2,489 ฿83.5K

-56.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$992 BGN 1,737

$493 ฿16.5K

101.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

5.57

-44.34%

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

Last update for Montana: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Montana

$199 23.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 34.5% $69

Accommodation & Living

Montana

$160 19.2%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 188% $300

Clothing & Footwear

Montana

$139 16.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 10.9% $15

Eating Out

Montana

$137 16.4%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 11.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montana

$127 15.2%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 0.8% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Montana

$40 4.9%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 66.6% $27

Getting Around

Montana

$31 3.7%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 26% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $214 in Montana versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 101% higher in Montana, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Montana versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Montana vs $268 in Phuket – so Montana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Montana

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

04:27 4:27 AM

4 h ahead of Montana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,502

79,308

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Montana Phuket 8,210 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montana
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

Montana vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,250 per month in Montana and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Montana. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $522 per month in Montana and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Montana, where all-in costs run around $833, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Montana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montana – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montana. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.