Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bago Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bago

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $771 in Bago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,213 in Bago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,655 in Bago.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than in Bago, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bago 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.46 ₱213

31.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$17.62 ₱1,085

162.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$3.32 ₱205

166.27%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.36 ₱146

29.66%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.77 ₱47.46

-5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.37 ₱22.68

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.30 ₱79.9

86.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.19 ₱135

72.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.89 ₱116

19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.25 ₱77.1

44.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.98 ₱60.6

129.59%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.10 ₱129

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.84 ₱483

148.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.16 ₱256

-12.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.86 ₱484

66.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.85 ₱175

13.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.59 ₱98.0

1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.59 ₱159

-8.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.61 ₱99.4

26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.28 ₱140

-32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.54 ₱156

-40.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.10 ₱67.9

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.75 ₱46.18

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.78 ₱171

59.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.64 ₱470

139.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.16 ₱71.1

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.99 ₱122

34.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.26 ₱15.85

442.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.82 ₱50.7

279.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.22 ₱13.45

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.08 ₱128

578.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.11 ₱68.2

18.02%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$26.1K ₱1.6M

6.56%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

60.00%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$111 ₱6,837

10.26%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$32.30 ₱1,989

-57.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.02 ₱1,725

-33.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$34.34 ₱2,114

76.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$4.53 ₱279

274.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.80 ₱357

56.38%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$149 ₱9,200

372.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,261 ₱262.3K

270.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$46.44 ₱2,859

26.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$26.93 ₱1,658

31.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$76.0 ₱4,678

51.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$52.7 ₱3,246

58.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$261 ₱16.1K

139.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$175 ₱10.8K

153.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$599 ₱36.8K

240.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$401 ₱24.7K

272.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,477 ₱152.5K

40.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$834 ₱51.3K

209.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bago: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $261 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Bago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $204 per month, with Bago 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 Bago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,156 in Bago 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: $626 in Phuket versus $261 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $149 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bago – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $771 in Bago versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bago but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bago 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 Bago 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 Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.