Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Biratnagar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Biratnagar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $321 in Biratnagar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $525 in Biratnagar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $728 in Biratnagar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 290% more expensive than in Biratnagar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Biratnagar 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$1.53 NPR 231

198.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$13.97 NPR 2,114

133.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.77 NPR 1,175

14.54%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.20 NPR 181

133.33%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.34 NPR 51.8

158.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.52 NPR 229

57.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.19 NPR 331

69.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$0.57 NPR 85.9

214.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.38 NPR 57.8

278.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.64 NPR 96.2

146.88%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.26 NPR 190

69.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$4.53 NPR 686

339.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.64 NPR 400

29.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$3.18 NPR 481

256.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.93 NPR 293

52.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.83 NPR 125

107.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.35 NPR 204

71.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.48 NPR 72.8

333.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.36 NPR 54.8

308.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.47 NPR 71.1

189.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.27 NPR 41.23

307.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.29 NPR 43.87

96.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.60 NPR 393

64.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.67 NPR 253

11.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.33 NPR 353

25.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.13 NPR 20.13

1607.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$11.90 NPR 1,801

92.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.96 NPR 296

54.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$2.36 NPR 357

66.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.19 NPR 180

25.21%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$21.4K NPR 3.2M

26.48%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

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

$103 ฿3,379

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

$10.99 ฿361

$4.13 NPR 625

166.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$9.32 NPR 1,409

87.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$28.04 NPR 4,243

90.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$1.99 NPR 301

462.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$3.16 NPR 478

136.71%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$48.06 NPR 7,271

1058.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$1,768 NPR 267.5K

570.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$20.75 NPR 3,140

208.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$32.97 NPR 4,988

-11.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$24.24 NPR 3,666

295.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$30.07 NPR 4,549

200.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$46.58 NPR 7,046

1467.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$51.8 NPR 7,842

864.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$132 NPR 20.0K

1480.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$98.4 NPR 14.9K

1128.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$388 NPR 58.7K

826.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$260 NPR 39.4K

865.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$163 NPR 24.6K

209.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-60.21%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Biratnagar: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $46.58 in Biratnagar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 209% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Biratnagar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $95.0 per month, with Biratnagar 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 Biratnagar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biratnagar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 290% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 209% higher in Phuket, 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: $730 in Phuket versus $46.58 in Biratnagar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 186% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Biratnagar – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $321 in Biratnagar versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Biratnagar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Biratnagar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Biratnagar 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 Biratnagar 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 Biratnagar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 290% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.