Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bambous Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bambous

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $975 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,574 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,174 in Bambous.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Bambous, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Bambous 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.44 MUR 208

0.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$43.73 MUR 2,049

4.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.44 MUR 208

97.30%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.14 MUR 100

38.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.96 MUR 45.07

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.46 MUR 21.53

-15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.26 MUR 106

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.61 MUR 75.6

132.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.23 MUR 57.4

74.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.70 MUR 32.64

160.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.13 MUR 52.9

92.92%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.31 MUR 108

-2.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$11.91 MUR 558

67.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.26 MUR 153

11.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$4.44 MUR 208

205.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.97 MUR 92.3

64.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.02 MUR 94.4

-18.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.46 MUR 68.2

59.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.63 MUR 123

-21.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.03 MUR 48.32

50.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.01 MUR 47.18

44.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.84 MUR 39.13

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.81 MUR 38.14

-40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$6.56 MUR 307

-33.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.21 MUR 385

126.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.74 MUR 81.5

6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.26 MUR 106

17.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.00 MUR 46.83

42.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$4.49 MUR 210

-29.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.62 MUR 123

-60.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$19.98 MUR 936

-30.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.45 MUR 68.1

-7.59%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

-21.44%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

14.56%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$50.4 MUR 2,361

144.15%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$18.70 MUR 876

-26.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$33.21 MUR 1,556

-44.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$38.47 MUR 1,802

57.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.91 MUR 277

50.08%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$157 MUR 7,336

339.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,965 MUR 185.7K

297.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$83.9 MUR 3,928

-29.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$78.3 MUR 3,666

-55.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$131 MUR 6,123

-11.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$95.7 MUR 4,483

-12.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$504 MUR 23.6K

23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$353 MUR 16.5K

26.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$952 MUR 44.6K

113.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$713 MUR 33.4K

109.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Bambous: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $504 in Bambous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Bambous for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $187 per month, with Bambous 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 Bambous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Bambous differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $975 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,463 in Bambous 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: $621 in Phuket versus $504 in Bambous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $157 in Bambous. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bambous – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $975 in Bambous versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bambous but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bambous the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bambous 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 Bambous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.