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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $378 in Birgunj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $620 in Birgunj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $863 in Birgunj.

Living in Phuket is roughly 231% more expensive than in Birgunj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Birgunj 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$1.49 NPR 228

205.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$19.16 NPR 2,943

141.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$6.42 NPR 986

37.69%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.89 NPR 290

61.90%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.54 NPR 82.4

35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.14 NPR 21.25

185.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.52 NPR 387

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.70 NPR 568

2.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.74 NPR 114

205.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.28 NPR 43.07

546.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.67 NPR 103

235.82%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.79 NPR 276

25.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.94 NPR 1,220

145.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.62 NPR 403

39.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.04 NPR 927

116.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.27 NPR 349

42.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.06 NPR 163

52.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.18 NPR 182

101.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.70 NPR 108

190.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.51 NPR 78.6

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.63 NPR 96.3

138.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.15 NPR 23.66

553.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.23 NPR 35.44

126.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.84 NPR 283

141.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.65 NPR 1,329

111.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.36 NPR 362

-21.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.37 NPR 518

-20.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.16 NPR 24.83

781.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.12 NPR 326

46.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.06 NPR 163

-1.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$3.60 NPR 553

291.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.21 NPR 186

8.26%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$32.3K NPR 5.0M

-13.95%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$40.6K NPR 6.2M

-18.11%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$33.18 NPR 5,097

269.02%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$3.67 NPR 563

270.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$9.85 NPR 1,513

89.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$14.73 NPR 2,262

310.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.16 NPR 331

319.91%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$90.8 NPR 14.0K

677.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$3,718 NPR 571.1K

325.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$25.12 NPR 3,859

133.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$27.68 NPR 4,252

27.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$29.27 NPR 4,496

294.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$17.99 NPR 2,764

365.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$38.60 NPR 5,930

1520.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$43.96 NPR 6,752

912.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$141 NPR 21.6K

1348.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$85.9 NPR 13.2K

1637.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$645 NPR 99.0K

440.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$498 NPR 76.4K

417.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Birgunj: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $38.60 in Birgunj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Birgunj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $143 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 231% 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 $1,875 in Phuket and $567 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: $626 in Phuket versus $38.60 in Birgunj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $90.8 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $378 in Birgunj versus $1,250 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 $378 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 231% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.