Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Birgu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Birgu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,802 in Birgu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,879 in Birgu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,955 in Birgu.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 31% less than in Birgu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Birgu is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$20.88 €18.29

-78.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$96.1 €84.2

-51.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$11.39 €9.98

-22.39%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.91 €2.54

5.15%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$2.26 €1.97

-67.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.77 €1.55

-77.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$4.66 €4.08

-47.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.62 €4.05

-18.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.39 €1.21

62.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.25 €1.09

44.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.38 €3.83

-48.63%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$4.16 €3.64

-45.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.39 €9.10

87.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.71 €7.63

-58.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$14.07 €12.32

-7.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.91 €2.55

11.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.30 €1.14

24.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.95 €2.58

-19.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.95 €2.59

-31.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.29 €2.00

-33.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.35 €1.18

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$2.31 €2.03

-57.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.90 €0.79

-42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.57 €5.76

-32.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.04 €7.05

127.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.66 €1.45

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.31 €2.03

16.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$2.83 €2.48

-50.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$14.40 €12.61

-18.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$5.91 €5.18

-47.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.01 €0.88

2.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$49.68 €43.51

-71.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.52 €1.33

-13.82%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$27.1K €23.7K

2.78%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$34.2K €29.9K

-2.86%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$95.3 €83.5

28.49%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$27.98 €24.50

-51.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$33.55 €29.38

-44.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$45.03 €39.44

34.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$23.11 €20.24

-26.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$10.46 €9.16

-13.29%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$422 €370

67.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,121 €1,858

645.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$26.43 €23.15

121.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$34.94 €30.60

1.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$105 €91.8

10.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$102 €89.2

-17.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$1,014 €888

-38.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$831 €728

-46.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$3,766 €3,299

-45.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,568 €1,373

-4.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$3,961 €3,469

-12.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,833 €2,481

-9.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,912 €1,674

-73.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.43

20.32%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Birgu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $1,014 in Birgu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birgu pays 282% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $96.0 in Birgu. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $285, with Birgu cheaper for home cooking.

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 Birgu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Birgu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 282% lower in Birgu. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $1,014 in Birgu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 23% less than in Birgu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $422 in Birgu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,802 in Birgu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Birgu. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,250 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Birgu 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Birgu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.