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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $985 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,620 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,255 in Bambous.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than Bambous, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Bambous 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.38 MUR 205

5.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$43.78 MUR 2,049

6.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.52 MUR 211

95.58%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.21 MUR 103

35.75%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.02 MUR 47.77

-27.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.45 MUR 21.27

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.25 MUR 105

8.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.69 MUR 79.1

113.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.23 MUR 57.4

83.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.65 MUR 30.61

183.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.12 MUR 52.5

100.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.22 MUR 104

4.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.92 MUR 558

65.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.34 MUR 156

9.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$4.27 MUR 200

206.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.05 MUR 96.0

65.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.95 MUR 91.4

-15.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.45 MUR 68.1

66.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.64 MUR 123

-23.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.99 MUR 46.42

57.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.93 MUR 43.72

61.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.80 MUR 37.26

27.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.76 MUR 35.41

-35.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.40 MUR 300

-30.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.60 MUR 402

119.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.73 MUR 80.7

2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.18 MUR 102

26.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.99 MUR 46.38

41.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.31 MUR 202

-27.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.74 MUR 128

-63.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$19.51 MUR 913

-27.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.41 MUR 66.0

-4.26%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$35.8K MUR 1.7M

-24.07%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

16.12%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$48.82 MUR 2,284

156.00%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$18.00 MUR 842

-24.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$33.69 MUR 1,576

-45.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$38.75 MUR 1,813

58.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.10 MUR 286

50.66%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$157 MUR 7,345

344.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,951 MUR 184.9K

294.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$85.0 MUR 3,977

-32.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$79.4 MUR 3,713

-55.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$134 MUR 6,269

-15.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$93.7 MUR 4,383

-7.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$511 MUR 23.9K

20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$352 MUR 16.5K

26.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$939 MUR 43.9K

118.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$727 MUR 34.0K

105.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bambous: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $511 in Bambous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Bambous for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $186 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $985 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,478 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: $616 in Phuket versus $511 in Bambous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $985 in Bambous versus $1,232 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.