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 $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $350 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $578 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 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 6% lower, Bhairab Bazar 74% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Bhairab Bazar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.56 ฿149
$1.68 ৳206
171.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.63 ฿1,519
$15.03 ৳1,842
210.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.47 ฿276
$7.47 ৳915
13.39%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$5.80 ৳711
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.16 ৳509
-
Cappuccino
$3.03 ฿98.6
$1.69 ৳207
79.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 ฿22.45
$0.39 ৳47.21
76.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 ฿11.92
$0.16 ৳20.13
131.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.49 ฿81.0
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿119
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Bhairab Bazar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.18 ฿71.0
$0.77 ৳94.4
183.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.90 ฿62.0
$0.63 ৳77.0
201.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ฿71.6
$0.62 ৳75.8
254.84%
Eggs
$2.22 ฿72.4
$1.16 ৳142
91.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.99 ฿651
$9.01 ৳1,104
121.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.66 ฿119
$1.63 ৳200
124.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.25 ฿432
$7.44 ৳912
78.09%
Apples (1kg)
$3.23 ฿105
$2.21 ৳270
46.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿55.3
$0.99 ৳122
71.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.39 ฿78.0
$2.11 ৳259
13.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿67.7
$0.85 ৳105
144.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.59 ฿51.8
$0.48 ৳58.7
231.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 ฿48.31
$0.91 ৳111
62.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 ฿33.54
$0.37 ৳45.80
178.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿16.83
$0.25 ৳30.56
108.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$8.96 ৳1,098
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.84 ৳103
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.50 ৳184
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.25 ฿138
$2.82 ৳346
50.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿612
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 ฿57.2
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ฿89.8
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Bhairab Bazar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 ฿44.32
$0.20 ৳24.46
580.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.36 ฿370
$10.29 ৳1,261
10.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.14 ฿102
$0.83 ৳102
278.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 ฿33.74
$0.26 ৳31.89
300.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.77 ฿448
$2.40 ৳294
473.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 ฿43.79
$1.06 ৳129
26.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K ฿901.4K
$33.3K ৳4.1M
-16.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K ฿1.1M
$34.7K ৳4.2M
-2.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Bhairab Bazar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 ฿4,025
$23.12 ৳2,834
434.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.52 ฿440
$5.75 ৳704
135.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69 ฿609
$13.05 ৳1,599
43.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Bhairab Bazar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.8 ฿2,013
$13.51 ৳1,656
357.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.25 ฿562
$11.57 ৳1,418
49.09%
Cinema Ticket
$9.14 ฿298
$3.27 ৳400
179.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Bhairab Bazar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$703 ฿22.9K
$29.57 ৳3,623
2276.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K ฿517.0K
$1,342 ৳164.5K
1082.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Bhairab Bazar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5 ฿1,937
$20.82 ৳2,551
185.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.07 ฿1,142
$18.48 ৳2,264
89.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 ฿3,754
$52.8 ৳6,476
118.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.1 ฿2,737
$33.57 ৳4,114
150.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Bhairab Bazar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$619 ฿20.1K
$70.5 ৳8,640
777.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$433 ฿14.1K
$42.65 ৳5,226
914.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 ฿67.2K
$162 ৳19.9K
1172.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,511 ฿49.2K
$97.2 ৳11.9K
1454.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,646 ฿118.7K
$763 ৳93.5K
377.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,626 ฿85.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Bhairab Bazar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bhairab Bazar: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $70.5 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $15.00 in Bhairab Bazar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 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
Is Bhairab Bazar cheaper than Phuket?
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.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $524 in Bhairab Bazar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or Bhairab Bazar?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket vs Bhairab Bazar?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Phuket and $350 in Bhairab Bazar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Bhairab Bazar?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bhairab Bazar, where all-in costs run around $350, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Bhairab Bazar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Bhairab Bazar more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Bhairab Bazar?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
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.

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