Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bacong

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacong: $618 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Bacong, Philippines
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Bacong
🇵🇭 Philippines
$618
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bacong

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Bacong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $618 in Bacong, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Bacong $618

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $983 in Bacong, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Bacong $983

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,348 in Bacong, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Bacong $1,348

Phuket costs about 109% more than Bacong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Bacong are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Bacong 54% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Bacong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$2.71 ₱172
61.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,086
$18.54 ₱1,179
74.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿293
$3.15 ₱200
176.19%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.6
$2.08 ₱132
30.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.28
$0.67 ₱42.88
38.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.79
$0.33 ₱21.29
51.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.1
$0.84 ₱53.3
201.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$1.70 ₱108
113.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Bacong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.5
$1.64 ₱105
6.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.77
$1.17 ₱74.4
23.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$0.87 ₱55.6
72.41%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.0
$1.95 ₱124
11.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿642
$5.81 ₱369
228.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿114
$4.09 ₱260
-16.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿366
$5.93 ₱377
83.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.9
$3.27 ₱208
-10.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.01 ₱64.5
67.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.8
$3.01 ₱192
-27.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.4
$1.42 ₱90.3
49.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.03
$2.36 ₱150
-38.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.99
$2.76 ₱175
-50.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.17
$1.44 ₱91.7
-25.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.34
$0.74 ₱47.25
-25.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$3.02 ₱192
46.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿614
$6.11 ₱389
198.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.6
$1.08 ₱68.6
63.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.8
$1.26 ₱80.2
128.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Bacong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.66
$0.24 ₱15.30
504.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,845
$12.37 ₱787
343.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$0.80 ₱50.8
88.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.08
$0.35 ₱22.26
122.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$2.40 ₱153
60.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.0
$0.90 ₱57.3
65.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿903.7K
$21.2K ₱1.4M
26.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿885.7K
$19.3K ₱1.2M
36.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Bacong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,288
$49.80 ₱3,166
96.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿380
$9.22 ₱586
22.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿578
$26.84 ₱1,706
-35.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Bacong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,297
$31.50 ₱2,003
116.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿367
$5.06 ₱321
115.81%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿250
$4.67 ₱297
59.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Bacong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.8K
$30.67 ₱1,950
1629.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿631.4K
$7,920 ₱503.5K
137.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Bacong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,073
$23.88 ₱1,518
158.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿950
$19.30 ₱1,227
46.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,228
$54.1 ₱3,442
77.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,919
$23.13 ₱1,471
275.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Bacong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.2K
$148 ₱9,406
387.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.1K
$169 ₱10.8K
200.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.6K
$485 ₱30.8K
302.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.0K
$355 ₱22.6K
293.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿140.9K
$2,635 ₱167.6K
59.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.9K
$1,104 ₱70.2K
198.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Bacong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
7.33
-24.01%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bacong: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Bacong
$169 66.7% $339
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Bacong
$184 31% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Bacong
$86 32% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Bacong
$54 55.8% $69
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Bacong
$68 43.3% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Bacong
$41 50.9% $42
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Bacong
$16 76% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $148 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 $32 in Phuket versus $19 in Bacong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $184 – making Bacong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇭 Bacong
🕒 Local time
03:00 3:00 AM
04:00 4:00 AM
1 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
41,207
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Bacong 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Bacong

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
Phuket vs Bacong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bacong cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $927 in Bacong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $148 there versus $721 in Phuket.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Bacong?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $19 in Bacong. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Bacong?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $618 in Bacong. That makes Bacong about 52% cheaper.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Bacong?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bacong, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Bacong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Bacong more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Bacong is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 52% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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