Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Birgunj Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Birgunj

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $384 in Birgunj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $620 in Birgunj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $856 in Birgunj.

Living in Phuket is roughly 230% more expensive than Birgunj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Birgunj 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$1.43 NPR 217

228.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$18.86 NPR 2,871

140.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.68 NPR 1,017

26.20%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.86 NPR 283

57.53%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.54 NPR 81.6

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.14 NPR 21.88

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.58 NPR 393

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.68 NPR 561

1.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.69 NPR 106

223.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.26 NPR 39.48

603.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.68 NPR 103

219.12%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.74 NPR 265

27.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.81 NPR 1,188

152.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.59 NPR 394

40.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.04 NPR 920

124.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.26 NPR 344

45.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.04 NPR 159

54.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.20 NPR 182

100.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.64 NPR 97.6

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.48 NPR 72.5

218.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.62 NPR 95.0

138.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.16 NPR 24.86

518.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.23 NPR 35.13

121.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.86 NPR 283

137.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.93 NPR 1,207

144.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.33 NPR 354

-23.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.24 NPR 493

-16.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.14 NPR 20.98

878.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.22 NPR 338

36.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.10 NPR 167

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.61 NPR 550

290.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.22 NPR 186

11.48%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$32.6K NPR 5.0M

-13.62%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$41.1K NPR 6.3M

-19.99%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$33.23 NPR 5,058

266.24%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$3.61 NPR 550

275.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$9.91 NPR 1,509

84.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$14.34 NPR 2,183

319.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.23 NPR 339

289.69%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$90.4 NPR 13.8K

667.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,822 NPR 581.7K

310.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$25.26 NPR 3,844

135.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$27.58 NPR 4,198

26.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$28.79 NPR 4,383

298.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$18.31 NPR 2,786

354.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$37.97 NPR 5,780

1514.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$44.41 NPR 6,760

884.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$136 NPR 20.7K

1439.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$88.4 NPR 13.5K

1608.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$664 NPR 101.0K

465.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$493 NPR 75.0K

430.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.08

-55.88%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Birgunj: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $37.97 in Birgunj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Birgunj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $139 per month, with Birgunj 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 Birgunj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Birgunj wins on cost – living expenses run 230% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Birgunj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $576 in Birgunj to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $37.97 in Birgunj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $90.4 in Birgunj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Birgunj – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $384 in Birgunj versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Birgunj but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Birgunj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Birgunj delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $384 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Birgunj hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Birgunj 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 Birgunj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 230% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.