Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Babahoyo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Babahoyo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $886 in Babahoyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,334 in Babahoyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,781 in Babahoyo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 38% more expensive than in Babahoyo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Babahoyo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$3.42 $3.42

31.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$25.17 $25.17

85.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$7.10 $7.10

19.58%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$2.41 $2.41

27.80%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$0.89 $0.89

-23.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.70 $0.70

-48.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$2.06 $2.06

17.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.55 $3.55

2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.10 $1.10

99.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.71 $1.71

5.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.50 $1.50

48.67%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$2.18 $2.18

2.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$5.86 $5.86

234.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.38 $5.38

-30.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$6.18 $6.18

117.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$1.99 $1.99

68.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.08 $1.08

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.09 $1.09

121.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.09 $1.09

82.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.38 $1.38

10.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.03 $1.03

40.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.72 $0.72

40.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$1.06 $1.06

-54.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$5.68 $5.68

-24.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$7.43 $7.43

157.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.59 $1.59

15.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$2.77 $2.77

-1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.34 $0.34

317.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$24.36 $24.36

-51.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.24 $1.24

141.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$1.01 $1.01

3.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$9.87 $9.87

40.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$0.64 $0.64

101.56%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$19.7K $19.7K

42.15%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$28.8K $28.8K

16.33%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$36.98 $36.98

229.85%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$13.77 $13.77

1.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$30.32 $30.32

-37.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$30.26 $30.26

102.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$14.51 $14.51

16.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$7.33 $7.33

21.28%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$253 $253

172.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$5,624 $5,624

187.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$55.4 $55.4

4.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$43.85 $43.85

-19.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$96.8 $96.8

17.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$66.7 $66.7

24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$339 $339

78.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$313 $313

43.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$628 $628

223.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$495 $495

201.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$1,320 $1,320

171.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$719 $719

259.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.6

-49.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Babahoyo: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $339 in Babahoyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Babahoyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $182 per month, with Babahoyo 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

Phuket vs Babahoyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Babahoyo wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Babahoyo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $1,329 in Babahoyo 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: $607 in Phuket versus $339 in Babahoyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $253 in Babahoyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $886 in Babahoyo versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Babahoyo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Babahoyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Babahoyo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $886 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Babahoyo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Babahoyo 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 Babahoyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.