Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bacong Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bacong

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $689 in Bacong, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,103 in Bacong, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,518 in Bacong, rent included.

Phuket costs about 83% more than Bacong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Bacong are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Bacong 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.73 ₱166

67.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$21.62 ₱1,313

115.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.64 ₱221

132.69%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.99 ₱121

52.26%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.54 ₱32.56

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.30 ₱18.03

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.00 ₱60.8

149.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.82 ₱111

101.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.86 ₱113

17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.21 ₱73.3

57.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.95 ₱57.7

131.58%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.18 ₱133

1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.94 ₱361

236.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.23 ₱257

-13.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.93 ₱421

91.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.61 ₱219

-10.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.20 ₱72.8

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.42 ₱208

-30.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.60 ₱97.1

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.58 ₱157

-38.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$3.15 ₱191

-53.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.61 ₱98.1

-36.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.88 ₱53.3

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.25 ₱198

30.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.57 ₱338

237.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.28 ₱77.8

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.44 ₱87.3

91.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₱17.20

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.68 ₱41.36

361.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.25 ₱15.23

316.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.68 ₱163

413.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.07 ₱65.0

25.23%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$23.9K ₱1.5M

15.80%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$19.7K ₱1.2M

71.97%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$56.9 ₱3,452

117.40%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$31.28 ₱1,899

-56.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$30.26 ₱1,837

-38.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$33.63 ₱2,042

83.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.33 ₱263

298.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.20 ₱316

75.77%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$35.32 ₱2,145

1889.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,289 ₱260.4K

270.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$46.57 ₱2,828

27.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$23.48 ₱1,426

49.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$63.1 ₱3,831

82.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$26.29 ₱1,596

219.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$165 ₱10.0K

274.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$176 ₱10.7K

146.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$596 ₱36.2K

246.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$389 ₱23.6K

288.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,755 ₱167.3K

32.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$955 ₱58.0K

174.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bacong: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $165 in Bacong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $22.00 in Bacong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $201 – making Bacong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bacong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 83%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,034 in Bacong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Phuket and $689 in Bacong. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $703 per month in Phuket and $35.32 in Bacong. 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 Bacong, where all-in costs run around $689, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Bacong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bacong – 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 Bacong. 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.