Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bien Hoa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bien Hoa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $633 in Bien Hoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $894 in Bien Hoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,155 in Bien Hoa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 95% more expensive than Bien Hoa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Bien Hoa 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.93 ₫50.7K

139.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$11.37 ₫298.4K

311.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.65 ₫122.0K

90.11%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.16 ₫30.5K

158.62%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.44 ₫11.6K

68.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.21 ₫5,504

76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$0.56 ₫14.7K

335.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$0.74 ₫19.5K

387.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.23 ₫32.3K

83.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.78 ₫20.5K

135.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.87 ₫22.7K

157.47%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.42 ₫37.2K

63.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.54 ₫302.7K

70.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$1.97 ₫51.7K

85.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.76 ₫256.1K

34.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.15 ₫56.3K

57.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.14 ₫30.0K

43.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.17 ₫30.7K

105.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.99 ₫25.9K

105.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.12 ₫29.3K

39.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.18 ₫30.9K

27.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.43 ₫11.3K

137.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.46 ₫12.2K

6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.22 ₫32.0K

264.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.65 ₫200.7K

146.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.43 ₫11.2K

313.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$0.79 ₫20.7K

248.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.32 ₫8,384

337.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$7.00 ₫183.7K

64.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.41 ₫10.6K

660.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.67 ₫17.6K

49.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.12 ₫29.5K

1158.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.84 ₫22.0K

60.71%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$37.1K ₫972.6M

-26.67%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.4K ₫745.9M

15.80%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$50.4 ₫1.3M

148.07%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.16 ₫109.0K

226.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$6.78 ₫177.8K

173.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$10.70 ₫280.7K

474.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$7.73 ₫202.9K

117.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.51 ₫92.1K

161.82%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$66.2 ₫1.7M

955.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$14.1K ₫370.5M

10.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$16.93 ₫444.1K

241.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$15.13 ₫397.0K

132.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$70.9 ₫1.9M

59.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$86.9 ₫2.3M

-0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$362 ₫9.5M

69.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$245 ₫6.4M

81.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$428 ₫11.2M

378.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$304 ₫8.0M

390.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,521 ₫39.9M

148.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$608 ₫15.9M

335.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$344 ₫9.0M

52.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.8

-31.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bien Hoa: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $362 in Bien Hoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 52% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Bien Hoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $162 per month, with Bien Hoa 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 Bien Hoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bien Hoa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 52% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $362 in Bien Hoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bien Hoa – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $633 in Bien Hoa versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bien Hoa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bien Hoa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bien Hoa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bien Hoa 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 Bien Hoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.