Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Birjand

For one person, living is cheaper in Birjand: $536 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Birjand
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Birjand Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Birjand

🇮🇷 Iran

$536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Birjand

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Birjand actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $536 in Birjand, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Birjand $536

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $847 in Birjand, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Birjand $847

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $1,157 in Birjand, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Birjand $1,157

Phuket costs about 125% more than Birjand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Birjand are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Birjand 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$2.96 $2.96

48.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$16.62 $16.62

94.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.03 $4.03

117.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 $0.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 $1.10

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.09 $1.09

159.63%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.48 $0.48

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.97 $0.97

-51.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.69 $0.69

150.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.52 $0.52

182.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$2.10 $2.10

-28.10%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.19 $1.19

82.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$4.46 $4.46

341.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$3.34 $3.34

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$10.20 $10.20

9.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.07 $1.07

166.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.54 $1.54

10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$0.86 $0.86

154.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.60 $0.60

241.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.53 $0.53

173.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.47 $0.47

193.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.57 $0.57

87.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.24 $0.24

112.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 $1.40

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.55 $2.55

67.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.17 $0.17

1229.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$9.36 $9.36

136.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$0.42 $0.42

616.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.31 $0.31

241.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$2.61 $2.61

47.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.08 $0.08

1712.50%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$49.1K $49.1K

-46.36%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$44.2K $44.2K

-39.01%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$13.19 $13.19

630.71%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$1.57 $1.57

603.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$3.61 $3.61

374.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$18.40 $18.40

183.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$13.55 $13.55

-17.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$2.02 $2.02

286.63%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$109 $109

409.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$2,427 $2,427

377.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$23.11 $23.11

177.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$28.41 $28.41

0.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$98.6 $98.6

-3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$72.7 $72.7

21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$296 $296

149.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$214 $214

116.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$803 $803

160.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$359 $359

234.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,146 $1,146

204.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$532 $532

374.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.3

-77.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Birjand: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Birjand

$214 39.9% 53.7% $248

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Birjand

$115 21.4% 57.3% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Birjand

$18 3.4% 85.3% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Birjand

$100 18.7% 19.4% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Birjand

$55 10.2% 54.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Birjand

$22 4.2% 66.9% $45

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Birjand

$12 2.2% 69.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $296 in Birjand. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $17.00 in Birjand. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $115 – making Birjand the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Birjand

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

16:48 4:48 PM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

203,636

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Birjand 4,890 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Birjand

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Birjand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,208 in Phuket, $536 in Birjand – roughly 125% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $804 in Birjand. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Birjand, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 134% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $17.00 in Birjand. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Birjand, where all-in costs run around $536, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Birjand it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $536 in Birjand to $1,208 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Birjand. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.