Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bel Air Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bel Air

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,024 in Bel Air.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,704 in Bel Air.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,384 in Bel Air.

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than Bel Air, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bel Air 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$6.77 MUR 319

-32.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$43.15 MUR 2,032

8.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.04 MUR 331

20.31%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.07 MUR 50.5

183.18%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.02 MUR 48.09

-32.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.57 MUR 26.70

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.62 MUR 76.2

53.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.29 MUR 155

11.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.68 MUR 79.0

29.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.71 MUR 33.40

167.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.32 MUR 62.2

66.67%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.27 MUR 107

-2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.09 MUR 569

65.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.16 MUR 290

-40.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$12.62 MUR 594

4.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.00 MUR 94.4

61.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.95 MUR 91.7

-12.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.44 MUR 67.8

65.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.72 MUR 128

-23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.98 MUR 46.16

62.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.98 MUR 46.15

51.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.85 MUR 40.16

21.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.76 MUR 35.80

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.44 MUR 303

-34.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.41 MUR 396

123.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.73 MUR 81.4

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.22 MUR 105

24.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.00 MUR 46.89

36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$4.53 MUR 213

-30.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.71 MUR 128

-61.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$19.43 MUR 915

-29.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.40 MUR 65.8

-4.29%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$36.0K MUR 1.7M

-23.21%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

18.99%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$49.86 MUR 2,348

147.87%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$18.10 MUR 852

-25.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$34.01 MUR 1,602

-45.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$38.76 MUR 1,825

59.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.10 MUR 287

49.84%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$156 MUR 7,364

349.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,956 MUR 186.3K

301.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$85.9 MUR 4,045

-30.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$81.0 MUR 3,815

-56.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$130 MUR 6,105

-11.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$94.0 MUR 4,425

-10.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$518 MUR 24.4K

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$348 MUR 16.4K

24.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$954 MUR 44.9K

116.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$724 MUR 34.1K

108.81%

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

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bel Air: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $518 in Bel Air. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Bel Air for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $232 per month, with Bel Air 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 Bel Air: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Air wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Air the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,536 in Bel Air 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: $619 in Phuket versus $518 in Bel Air. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,024 in Bel Air – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Bel Air versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bel Air but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Air the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Air delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,024 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Air hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bel Air 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 Bel Air gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.