Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bakuriani Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bakuriani

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $591 in Bakuriani, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $968 in Bakuriani, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,346 in Bakuriani, rent included.

Phuket costs about 114% more than Bakuriani, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Bakuriani are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Bakuriani 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$8.67 ₾22.95

-47.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$29.22 ₾77.4

59.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.26 ₾19.24

16.67%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.80 ₾7.42

8.21%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.84 ₾2.21

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.44 ₾1.17

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.45 ₾3.83

71.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.17 ₾5.75

68.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.81 ₾4.78

20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.52 ₾1.37

265.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.53 ₾4.06

43.79%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.35 ₾6.22

-5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.65 ₾17.62

200.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.30 ₾14.05

-30.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.75 ₾23.18

51.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.08 ₾2.85

199.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.43 ₾3.78

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.27 ₾3.37

88.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.75 ₾4.64

18.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.52 ₾1.38

205.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.52 ₾1.38

184.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.34 ₾3.55

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.61 ₾1.61

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.87 ₾7.61

48.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.51 ₾14.60

241.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.29 ₾3.42

36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.92 ₾5.08

43.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.09 ₾2.88

188.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.52 ₾1.38

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.85 ₾7.55

383.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.11 ₾2.94

20.72%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$14.5K ₾38.5K

90.35%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$18.2K ₾48.2K

86.23%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$74.5 ₾197

65.91%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$10.42 ₾27.59

29.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$17.00 ₾45.01

9.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.44 ₾14.40

68.01%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$246 ₾651

185.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$2,875 ₾7,615

452.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$85.1 ₾225

-30.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$41.92 ₾111

-16.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$122 ₾323

-5.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$105 ₾279

-20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.17

-56.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bakuriani: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $29.00 in Bakuriani. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $176 – making Bakuriani 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 Bakuriani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 114% more than Bakuriani, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $886 in Bakuriani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Phuket and $591 in Bakuriani. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $703 per month in Phuket and $246 in Bakuriani. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bakuriani, where all-in costs run around $591, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Bakuriani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bakuriani costs $591 versus $1,261 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 Bakuriani. 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.