Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bafoussam Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bafoussam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $987 in Bafoussam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,675 in Bafoussam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,363 in Bafoussam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than in Bafoussam, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Bafoussam 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$4.50 FCFA 2,525

-1.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$122 FCFA 68.2K

-71.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$7.13 FCFA 3,999

25.67%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.23 FCFA 1,249

34.53%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.71 FCFA 959

-54.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.86 FCFA 483

-45.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$1.25 FCFA 703

92.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.59 FCFA 1,453

44.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$2.79 FCFA 1,562

-34.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$0.42 FCFA 233

238.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$2.23 FCFA 1,250

-30.49%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.98 FCFA 1,112

7.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$23.15 FCFA 13.0K

-14.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$7.74 FCFA 4,341

-55.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$6.40 FCFA 3,590

73.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$4.92 FCFA 2,759

-40.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$2.07 FCFA 1,161

-19.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$2.06 FCFA 1,158

10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.37 FCFA 767

53.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$3.32 FCFA 1,862

-55.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$2.17 FCFA 1,216

-35.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.79 FCFA 445

37.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.64 FCFA 357

-15.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$3.56 FCFA 1,998

25.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$9.09 FCFA 5,099

105.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.46 FCFA 821

26.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.87 FCFA 1,046

57.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.63 FCFA 355

382.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.86 FCFA 481

26.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$8.44 FCFA 4,734

-54.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.49 FCFA 838

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$31.3K FCFA 17.6M

-12.39%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$15.9K FCFA 8.9M

73.52%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$167 FCFA 93.7K

-39.08%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$26.00 FCFA 14.6K

-56.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$181 FCFA 101.4K

-90.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$8.67 FCFA 4,862

-9.46%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$536 FCFA 300.8K

7.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$3,523 FCFA 2.0M

230.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$82.5 FCFA 46.2K

-20.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$70.0 FCFA 39.2K

-58.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$144 FCFA 80.9K

-31.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$153 FCFA 86.1K

-41.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

19.04

-70.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Bafoussam: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $122 in Bafoussam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $283 per month, with Phuket 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 Bafoussam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bafoussam wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bafoussam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,480 in Bafoussam 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.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $536 in Bafoussam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bafoussam – a meal for two runs $122 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Bafoussam versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bafoussam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bafoussam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bafoussam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $987 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bafoussam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bafoussam 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 Bafoussam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.