Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bang Kruai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bang Kruai: $905 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Bang Kruai
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Bang Kruai Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Bang Kruai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bang Kruai

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 Bang Kruai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $905 in Bang Kruai.

Phuket $1,294
Bang Kruai $905

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,477 in Bang Kruai.

Phuket $2,204
Bang Kruai $1,477

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $2,049 in Bang Kruai.

Phuket $3,115
Bang Kruai $2,049

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than in Bang Kruai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Bang Kruai 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$3.01 ฿102

45.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$36.12 ฿1,219

-10.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$7.31 ฿247

19.02%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$2.76 ฿93.1

-1.45%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.69 ฿23.42

34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.35 ฿11.93

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$2.12 ฿71.5

19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$4.25 ฿143

-14.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.45 ฿48.93

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$1.32 ฿44.50

9.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.28 ฿43.07

17.19%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.86 ฿62.8

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$12.55 ฿424

52.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$2.52 ฿84.9

34.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$10.38 ฿350

5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$3.60 ฿122

-18.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.01 ฿34.06

67.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$2.37 ฿79.8

-7.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$1.64 ฿55.3

29.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$1.70 ฿57.4

-14.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$1.03 ฿34.86

33.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$0.82 ฿27.67

31.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$0.45 ฿15.21

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$4.41 ฿149

0.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$14.24 ฿481

28.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$1.68 ฿56.7

5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$1.79 ฿60.3

60.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$0.83 ฿27.87

74.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.02 ฿34.35

48.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

$1.16 ฿39.04

-32.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

$6.00 ฿203

-36.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.44 ฿48.65

3.47%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$16.4K ฿553.7K

63.79%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$26.5K ฿894.3K

-0.60%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$83.5 ฿2,818

17.10%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$9.43 ฿318

19.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$18.12 ฿611

-5.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$52.0 ฿1,753

31.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$13.22 ฿446

-17.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$6.56 ฿221

13.26%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$725 ฿24.5K

-26.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$15.6K ฿526.4K

20.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$6.02 ฿203

924.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$34.89 ฿1,177

-19.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$72.2 ฿2,435

33.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$53.4 ฿1,802

62.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$463 ฿15.6K

55.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$322 ฿10.9K

58.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$1,154 ฿38.9K

68.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$720 ฿24.3K

93.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$1,928 ฿65.1K

117.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$1,755 ฿59.2K

87.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bang Kruai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Bang Kruai

$322 35.5% 36.8% $187

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Bang Kruai

$220 24.3% 17.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Bang Kruai

$111 12.3% 12% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Bang Kruai

$75 8.3% 39% $48

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Bang Kruai

$102 11.3% 14.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Bang Kruai

$65 7.2% 21.8% $18

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Bang Kruai

$10 * 1.1% 84.7% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $463 in Bang Kruai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $36 in Bang Kruai. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $220, with Bang Kruai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Bang Kruai

🕒 Local time

03:12 3:12 AM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

43,453

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Bang Kruai 700 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bang Kruai

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 Bang Kruai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bang Kruai is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $1,357 in Bang Kruai 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: $721 in Phuket versus $463 in Bang Kruai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $725 in Bang Kruai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $36 in Bang Kruai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $905 in Bang Kruai versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bang Kruai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bang Kruai 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 Bang Kruai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.