Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bahir Dar

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahir Dar: $375 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Bahir Dar

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$375

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bahir Dar

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 Bahir Dar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $375 in Bahir Dar, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Bahir Dar $375

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $569 in Bahir Dar, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Bahir Dar $569

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $763 in Bahir Dar, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Bahir Dar $763

Phuket costs about 222% more than Bahir Dar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Bahir Dar are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Bahir Dar 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.51 ETB 564

30.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$0.99 ETB 159

174.75%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.41 ETB 66.0

129.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.52 ETB 83.9

-5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$0.72 ETB 116

259.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.01 ETB 323

90.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.99 ETB 158

75.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.98 ETB 157

45.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.03 ETB 165

48.54%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.72 ETB 276

26.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$10.04 ETB 1,612

10.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.92 ETB 468

1.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.02 ETB 164

64.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.05 ETB 329

12.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.83 ETB 133

156.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.63 ETB 101

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.12 ETB 180

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.02 ETB 164

9.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.51 ETB 82.2

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$3.90 ETB 626

366.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$0.84 ETB 134

107.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.97 ETB 316

41.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.48 ETB 76.9

110.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.02 ETB 324

89.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.02 ETB 164

46.08%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$102 ETB 16.4K

-2.47%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$9.82 ETB 1,576

14.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$50.9 ETB 8,167

2.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$60.5 ETB 9,711

-82.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$5.90 ETB 947

28.31%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$49.85 ETB 8,001

1020.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$50.1 ETB 8,032

25.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,988 ETB 319.1K

74.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,476 ETB 237.0K

68.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$200 ETB 32.1K

146.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bahir Dar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Bahir Dar

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Bahir Dar

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Bahir Dar

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Bahir Dar

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Bahir Dar

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Bahir Dar

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Bahir Dar

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 146% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇹 Bahir Dar

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

19:46 7:46 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

350,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 160 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Phuket Bahir Dar 6,690 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bahir Dar

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 Bahir Dar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 222% more than Bahir Dar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $562 in Bahir Dar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $375 in Bahir Dar. That's a gap of about 222%.

Groceries cost about 116% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bahir Dar, where all-in costs run around $375, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Bahir Dar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bahir Dar costs $375 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Bahir Dar. 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.