Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bihac

For one person, living is cheaper in Bihac: $988 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bihac
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Bihac Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bihac

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$988

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bihac

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Bihac actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $988 in Bihac.

Phuket $1,278
Bihac $988

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,433 in Bihac.

Phuket $2,216
Bihac $1,433

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,878 in Bihac.

Phuket $3,154
Bihac $1,878

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Bihac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bihac 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.77 BAM 11.89

-33.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$29.06 BAM 51.0

11.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.65 BAM 9.92

55.93%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.12 BAM 1.96

152.68%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.17 BAM 2.05

-25.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.82 BAM 1.44

-40.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.40 BAM 2.47

82.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.75 BAM 3.06

110.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.35 BAM 2.38

22.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.07 BAM 1.88

36.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.49 BAM 4.37

-39.76%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.00 BAM 5.26

-30.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$10.04 BAM 17.63

89.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.09 BAM 12.46

-53.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.13 BAM 19.55

-1.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.74 BAM 3.06

68.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.60 BAM 2.81

5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.34 BAM 2.36

67.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.95 BAM 3.42

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.12 BAM 1.97

34.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.46 BAM 2.56

-5.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.12 BAM 1.97

-4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.90 BAM 1.58

-42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.59 BAM 6.31

16.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.61 BAM 15.13

118.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.16 BAM 2.03

56.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.03 BAM 3.57

39.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.02 BAM 1.79

42.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$34.51 BAM 60.6

64.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.12 BAM 1.97

169.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.03 BAM 1.80

-0.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$10.12 BAM 17.77

-63.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.57 BAM 2.76

-6.37%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$29.7K BAM 52.1K

-9.71%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$20.5K BAM 36.0K

30.08%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$201 BAM 354

-52.15%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$18.83 BAM 33.06

-40.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$21.40 BAM 37.58

-21.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$34.13 BAM 59.9

96.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$12.72 BAM 22.34

-15.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.48 BAM 11.39

15.74%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$136 BAM 239

249.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$2,868 BAM 5,037

292.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$28.49 BAM 50.0

118.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$16.97 BAM 29.80

67.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$95.9 BAM 168

-1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$128 BAM 225

-33.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$218 BAM 383

228.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$203 BAM 356

142.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$306 BAM 537

530.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$270 BAM 474

430.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,410 BAM 2,476

196.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,275 BAM 2,239

138.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$777 BAM 1,365

-35.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.3

29.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bihac: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bihac

$203 20.5% 58.7% $288

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bihac

$227 23% 14.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bihac

$242 24.5% 94.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bihac

$121 12.3% 0.5% $0.6

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bihac

$103 10.4% 15.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bihac

$47 4.8% 42.7% $35

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bihac

$45 4.5% 36.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $218 in Bihac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bihac pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $29 in Bihac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $227 per month, with Bihac cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇦 Bihac

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

00:45 12:45 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

39,690

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BAM = 0.569 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BAM (1 BAM = 0.569 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Bihac 8,800 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bihac

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bihac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $988 in Bihac, so Bihac is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $218 in Bihac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bihac – a meal for two runs $29 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $988 in Bihac – Bihac is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $988 in Bihac versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Bihac but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bihac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bihac are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Bihac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.