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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $976 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,610 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,244 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 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$4.48 MUR 211

0.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$43.39 MUR 2,043

7.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.39 MUR 207

93.39%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.16 MUR 102

42.59%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.96 MUR 45.13

-29.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.45 MUR 21.22

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.14 MUR 101

13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$1.68 MUR 78.9

116.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.17 MUR 55.3

87.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.65 MUR 30.75

178.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.09 MUR 51.3

104.59%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.30 MUR 108

-2.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$11.67 MUR 550

67.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$3.20 MUR 151

16.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$4.29 MUR 202

213.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.07 MUR 97.5

62.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$2.02 MUR 94.9

-19.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.46 MUR 68.7

65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.66 MUR 125

-25.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.99 MUR 46.71

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.96 MUR 45.01

51.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.80 MUR 37.61

26.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.81 MUR 38.31

-40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$6.47 MUR 305

-34.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$8.30 MUR 391

130.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.78 MUR 83.7

3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.22 MUR 105

23.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.04 MUR 49.17

36.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$4.38 MUR 206

-31.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$2.72 MUR 128

-61.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$19.64 MUR 925

-29.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.45 MUR 68.4

-11.03%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$36.4K MUR 1.7M

-23.09%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$28.7K MUR 1.3M

16.87%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$48.53 MUR 2,285

151.35%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$18.35 MUR 864

-24.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$33.36 MUR 1,571

-43.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$38.21 MUR 1,799

60.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$6.02 MUR 283

47.67%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$154 MUR 7,270

347.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$3,975 MUR 187.2K

306.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$83.6 MUR 3,937

-30.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$78.7 MUR 3,705

-55.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$134 MUR 6,315

-15.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$95.0 MUR 4,470

-12.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$512 MUR 24.1K

18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$348 MUR 16.4K

28.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$966 MUR 45.5K

110.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$736 MUR 34.6K

102.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Bambous: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $512 in Bambous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Bambous for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $185 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 ($1,223 vs $976 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $1,465 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: $607 in Phuket versus $512 in Bambous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $154 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 $43.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $976 in Bambous versus $1,223 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.