Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bhairab Bazar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bhairab Bazar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $350 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $579 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $807 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

Phuket costs about 261% more than Bhairab Bazar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Bhairab Bazar are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Bhairab Bazar 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.61 ৳199

178.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,520

$15.06 ৳1,862

202.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.28 ৳899

20.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 ৳719

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 ৳521

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.65 ৳204

80.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.89

$0.38 ৳47.51

81.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.03

$0.14 ৳17.63

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.79 ৳97.3

172.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.5

$0.57 ৳70.5

219.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.65 ৳79.8

235.38%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.17 ৳145

92.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$9.07 ৳1,121

120.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$1.70 ৳210

113.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.32 ৳904

85.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.17 ৳269

49.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.03 ৳127

59.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.04 ৳252

14.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.79 ৳98.1

162.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.48 ৳58.8

222.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.53

$0.85 ৳106

71.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$0.37 ৳46.16

164.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.27 ৳33.68

77.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.96 ৳1,107

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ৳99.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ৳178

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.79 ৳345

55.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿619

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.26

$0.20 ৳24.67

610.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$10.24 ৳1,266

12.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.84 ৳103

277.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.40

$0.26 ৳32.30

296.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.39 ৳296

481.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.83

$1.05 ৳130

27.62%

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

$27.8K ฿926.8K

$33.2K ৳4.1M

-16.18%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$34.1K ৳4.2M

-2.04%

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

$123 ฿4,104

$22.39 ৳2,767

449.58%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$5.64 ৳696

144.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$13.08 ৳1,617

40.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,024

$13.66 ৳1,688

344.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿572

$11.70 ৳1,446

46.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.37 ৳416

163.20%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$29.77 ৳3,678

2210.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.2K

$1,359 ৳167.9K

1061.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$20.89 ৳2,582

183.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$18.18 ৳2,247

90.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,841

$52.6 ৳6,500

118.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,793

$34.31 ৳4,240

144.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$69.5 ৳8,583

794.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$41.46 ৳5,123

975.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$165 ৳20.4K

1130.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$95.5 ৳11.8K

1467.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.2K

$612 ৳75.6K

464.52%

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

11.67

-54.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bhairab Bazar: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $69.5 in Bhairab Bazar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $15.00 in Bhairab Bazar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $116 – making Bhairab Bazar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bhairab Bazar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 261%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $525 in Bhairab Bazar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bhairab Bazar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $15.00 in Bhairab Bazar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,264 in Phuket and $350 in Bhairab Bazar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bhairab Bazar, where all-in costs run around $350, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Bhairab Bazar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bhairab Bazar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bhairab Bazar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.