Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bhisho Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bhisho

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,044 in Bhisho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,605 in Bhisho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,166 in Bhisho.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than in Bhisho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Bhisho 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$8.60 R 142

-47.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$33.70 R 555

35.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.01 R 82.5

74.85%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.04 R 33.54

45.59%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.98 R 16.21

-29.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.82 R 13.49

-52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.20 R 36.26

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.55 R 42.05

47.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.11 R 18.27

93.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.05 R 17.34

73.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.57 R 25.91

38.85%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.39 R 39.28

-5.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.51 R 124

166.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.65 R 76.5

-21.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$6.78 R 112

100.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.66 R 27.33

95.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.46 R 24.10

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.53 R 25.25

52.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.65 R 27.15

25.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.37 R 22.48

13.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.24 R 20.42

17.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.05 R 17.28

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.97 R 16.00

-50.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.78 R 45.79

56.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.90 R 80.7

278.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.37 R 22.57

35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.72 R 28.37

54.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.60 R 26.42

-11.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$22.46 R 370

-48.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.14 R 18.69

178.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.95 R 15.67

8.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$3.98 R 65.6

248.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.23 R 20.20

8.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$21.5K R 353.6K

29.38%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$23.8K R 391.0K

40.55%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$120 R 1,980

2.29%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$34.88 R 574

-60.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$41.67 R 686

-56.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$31.63 R 521

91.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$11.07 R 182

55.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.61 R 109

34.19%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$197 R 3,245

248.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,416 R 72.7K

257.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$51.2 R 843

15.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$32.44 R 534

6.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$86.9 R 1,431

32.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$81.1 R 1,335

3.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$366 R 6,029

69.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$337 R 5,555

32.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$694 R 11.4K

192.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$702 R 11.6K

113.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$889 R 14.6K

288.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$652 R 10.7K

288.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,224 R 53.1K

-84.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.51

-53.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bhisho: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $366 in Bhisho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 553% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Bhisho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $178 per month, with Bhisho 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 Bhisho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhisho wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bhisho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 553% lower in Bhisho. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $366 in Bhisho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $197 in Bhisho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,044 in Bhisho versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bhisho but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bhisho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bhisho delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,044 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bhisho hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bhisho 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 Bhisho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.