Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bac Kan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bac Kan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $774 in Bac Kan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,242 in Bac Kan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,710 in Bac Kan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than in Bac Kan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Bac Kan 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.07 ₫53.9K

113.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$21.41 ₫556.9K

50.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$4.42 ₫115.1K

102.04%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.84 ₫47.8K

57.61%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.49 ₫12.8K

79.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.30 ₫7,847

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.18 ₫30.6K

99.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.97 ₫51.2K

88.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.50 ₫39.0K

24.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.00 ₫26.1K

47.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.76 ₫19.8K

103.95%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.42 ₫37.1K

47.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$10.58 ₫275.4K

85.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.87 ₫100.8K

-11.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$10.08 ₫262.2K

12.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$3.10 ₫80.6K

-3.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.05 ₫27.4K

60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.33 ₫34.6K

66.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.09 ₫28.3K

98.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.92 ₫23.9K

65.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.13 ₫29.3K

18.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.59 ₫15.3K

91.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.55 ₫14.3K

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.43 ₫37.2K

197.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$12.54 ₫326.2K

52.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.95 ₫24.8K

87.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.61 ₫41.9K

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.34 ₫8,876

555.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$6.69 ₫174.1K

239.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.81 ₫21.0K

274.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.60 ₫15.5K

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.38 ₫61.9K

63.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$0.84 ₫22.0K

77.38%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$31.2K ₫811.3M

-14.76%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$30.3K ₫787.6M

-10.70%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$82.5 ₫2.1M

24.19%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$5.14 ₫133.7K

120.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$9.10 ₫236.8K

91.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$22.38 ₫582.3K

132.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$7.81 ₫203.3K

41.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.15 ₫108.0K

85.30%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$164 ₫4.3M

241.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$27.2K ₫706.9M

-57.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$48.59 ₫1.3M

29.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$27.02 ₫703.1K

9.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$84.4 ₫2.2M

16.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$85.1 ₫2.2M

4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$407 ₫10.6M

81.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$281 ₫7.3M

71.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$739 ₫19.2M

185.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$614 ₫16.0M

99.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$2,822 ₫73.4M

28.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,307 ₫34.0M

99.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.45

-34.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Bac Kan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $407 in Bac Kan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Bac Kan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $195 per month, with Bac Kan 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 Bac Kan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bac Kan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,161 in Bac Kan 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: $738 in Phuket versus $407 in Bac Kan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bac Kan – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $774 in Bac Kan – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $774 in Bac Kan versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bac Kan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bac Kan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bac Kan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bac Kan 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 Bac Kan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.