Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Binan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Binan City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $899 in Binan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,376 in Binan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,853 in Binan City, rent included.

Phuket costs about 41% more than Binan City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Binan City are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Binan City 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.68 ₱287

-4.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$21.12 ₱1,293

115.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.03 ₱185

189.11%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.87 ₱176

3.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.94 ₱57.8

-26.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.37 ₱22.78

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.22 ₱74.9

107.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.70 ₱165

38.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.07 ₱127

3.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.26 ₱77.2

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.11 ₱68.2

96.40%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.04 ₱125

10.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.03 ₱431

184.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.38 ₱268

-17.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.54 ₱462

79.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$4.42 ₱270

-26.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.55 ₱94.9

5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.63 ₱161

-11.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.71 ₱105

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.88 ₱176

-46.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.94 ₱180

-50.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.58 ₱96.9

-37.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.95 ₱58.4

-49.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.25 ₱199

33.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.11 ₱497

128.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.23 ₱75.5

51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.05 ₱125

29.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.26 ₱15.90

446.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.77 ₱47.35

311.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.22 ₱13.45

368.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$3.50 ₱214

296.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.14 ₱69.7

17.54%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$25.3K ₱1.5M

10.06%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

60.68%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$164 ₱10.0K

-24.75%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$33.13 ₱2,028

-58.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$35.34 ₱2,163

-48.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$34.13 ₱2,089

77.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.32 ₱264

297.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$7.26 ₱444

22.18%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$81.6 ₱4,992

743.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,963 ₱426.2K

126.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$32.18 ₱1,970

84.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$30.10 ₱1,843

15.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$83.9 ₱5,133

37.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$93.3 ₱5,709

-10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$269 ₱16.5K

130.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$177 ₱10.9K

151.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$579 ₱35.4K

251.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$394 ₱24.1K

279.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,260 ₱138.3K

52.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$899 ₱55.1K

181.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Binan City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $269 in Binan City. 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $21.00 in Binan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $221 – making Binan City 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 Binan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 41%, 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 $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,348 in Binan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Binan City, 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 $1,264 in Phuket and $899 in Binan City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $688 per month in Phuket and $81.6 in Binan City. 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 Binan City, where all-in costs run around $899, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Binan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Binan City – 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 Binan City. 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.