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 $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $348 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $586 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $823 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

Phuket costs about 254% more than Bhairab Bazar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Bhairab Bazar are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Bhairab Bazar 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.61 ৳198

187.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$14.75 ৳1,810

217.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.55 ৳926

17.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 ৳690

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 ৳500

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.67 ৳205

79.64%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.35 ৳43.57

111.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.14 ৳17.69

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.79 ৳96.8

186.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.59 ৳71.9

211.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.64 ৳78.7

250.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.16 ৳143

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.28 ৳1,139

111.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$1.66 ৳204

119.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.28 ৳894

79.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.21 ৳272

53.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.96 ৳118

70.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.06 ৳253

16.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.85 ৳104

138.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.47 ৳58.1

231.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.91 ৳111

64.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.38 ৳46.27

168.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.25 ৳30.50

96.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.50 ৳1,044

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ৳104

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ৳178

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.82 ৳346

57.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.20 ৳24.52

600.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$10.22 ৳1,254

12.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.84 ৳103

271.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.24 ৳29.37

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.45 ৳300

475.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.04 ৳128

29.81%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$32.8K ৳4.0M

-17.00%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.4K ৳4.1M

-1.44%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$22.38 ৳2,747

458.45%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.71 ৳701

137.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$13.10 ৳1,609

41.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$13.36 ৳1,640

360.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$11.89 ৳1,460

41.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.25 ৳399

182.77%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$29.38 ৳3,607

2276.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,376 ৳168.9K

1033.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$20.33 ৳2,495

184.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$18.43 ৳2,262

91.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$50.9 ৳6,247

122.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$33.81 ৳4,150

155.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$70.6 ৳8,665

772.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$42.04 ৳5,161

960.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$167 ৳20.5K

1127.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$95.5 ৳11.7K

1462.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$637 ৳78.2K

492.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$435 ৳53.4K

508.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bhairab Bazar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $70.6 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $15.00 in Bhairab Bazar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 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 254%, 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $523 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 $47.00 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 $1,232 in Phuket and $348 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 $348, than in Phuket at $1,232. 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.