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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $358 in Birgunj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $576 in Birgunj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $794 in Birgunj.

Living in Phuket is roughly 244% more expensive than in Birgunj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Birgunj 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.29 NPR 198

241.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$20.14 NPR 3,089

60.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.66 NPR 1,176

16.58%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$1.59 NPR 244

82.39%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.56 NPR 86.3

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.14 NPR 21.36

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.32 NPR 355

1.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.53 NPR 541

5.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$0.68 NPR 104

175.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.24 NPR 36.77

512.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.64 NPR 97.7

142.19%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.62 NPR 248

29.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$7.33 NPR 1,124

167.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.30 NPR 352

48.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$5.83 NPR 894

95.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.11 NPR 324

41.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$0.92 NPR 142

82.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.32 NPR 203

67.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$0.53 NPR 81.5

307.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.38 NPR 58.7

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.50 NPR 76.5

168.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.15 NPR 22.80

653.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.22 NPR 33.08

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.62 NPR 248

162.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$7.84 NPR 1,203

143.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.20 NPR 338

-19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$3.14 NPR 482

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.14 NPR 20.74

1492.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.93 NPR 297

56.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.29 NPR 198

-20.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$3.21 NPR 493

21.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.06 NPR 162

40.57%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$29.2K NPR 4.5M

-8.81%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$37.0K NPR 5.7M

-27.04%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$31.86 NPR 4,887

221.63%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$3.34 NPR 512

239.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$7.83 NPR 1,201

122.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$13.08 NPR 2,007

298.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$2.00 NPR 307

284.50%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$66.9 NPR 10.3K

738.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$4,861 NPR 745.7K

136.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$26.22 NPR 4,023

140.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$28.83 NPR 4,423

2.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$25.69 NPR 3,941

281.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$16.34 NPR 2,507

441.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$34.79 NPR 5,338

2021.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$39.61 NPR 6,076

1117.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$124 NPR 19.0K

1602.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$79.5 NPR 12.2K

1442.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$647 NPR 99.3K

458.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$486 NPR 74.6K

435.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.72

-42.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Birgunj: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $34.79 in Birgunj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Birgunj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $132 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 244% 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 $1,847 in Phuket and $536 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: $738 in Phuket versus $34.79 in Birgunj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $66.9 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 $20.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $358 in Birgunj versus $1,232 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 $358 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 244% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.