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 $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $358 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $589 in Bhairab Bazar, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $819 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

$4.66 ฿154

$2.00 ৳246

133.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,066

$12.15 ৳1,493

165.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.43 ৳667

59.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 ৳320

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.9

$1.99 ৳245

45.73%

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

$0.84 ฿27.91

$0.37 ৳45.20

127.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.17

$0.14 ৳17.34

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.79 ৳97.4

139.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.58

$0.60 ৳73.3

135.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.67 ৳82.7

141.79%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.17 ৳144

91.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$7.47 ৳917

165.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.11 ৳259

64.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.52 ৳924

51.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.9

$2.33 ৳287

24.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.89 ৳110

93.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.2

$2.02 ৳248

12.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.5

$0.88 ৳108

142.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$0.47 ৳57.8

212.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$0.85 ৳104

67.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.29

$0.50 ৳61.6

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.78

$0.31 ৳37.85

93.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.70 ৳1,069

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ৳104

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ৳184

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.93 ৳359

47.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.3

$0.43 ৳52.3

423.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

$0.77 ৳95.2

302.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

$0.59 ৳72.5

83.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$4.09 ৳503

-5.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.20

$1.07 ৳131

33.64%

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

$27.8K ฿918.9K

$32.9K ৳4.0M

-15.64%

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

$27.0K ฿892.4K

$43.9K ৳5.4M

-38.60%

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

$105 ฿3,466

$29.79 ৳3,660

251.80%

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

$11.39 ฿377

$5.65 ৳694

101.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$12.35 ৳1,517

42.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,797

$13.42 ৳1,649

304.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.59 ৳441

116.71%

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

$576 ฿19.1K

$36.31 ৳4,460

1487.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

$1,454 ৳178.6K

696.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,104

$23.07 ৳2,834

175.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿962

$19.88 ৳2,443

46.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,182

$56.9 ৳6,992

69.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,977

$34.23 ৳4,205

162.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$87.7 ৳10.8K

735.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

$50.8 ৳6,235

886.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.3K

$168 ৳20.7K

1162.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$116 ৳14.2K

981.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.9K

$696 ৳85.5K

407.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.5

-51.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Bhairab Bazar: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $733 in Phuket versus $87.7 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $12.00 in Bhairab Bazar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $115 – 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $537 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $358 in Bhairab Bazar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $576 per month in Phuket and $36.31 in Bhairab Bazar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bhairab Bazar, where all-in costs run around $358, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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.