Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bonwapitse Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bonwapitse

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $573 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $933 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $1,293 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

Phuket costs about 121% more than Bonwapitse, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Bonwapitse are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Bonwapitse 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$10.99 P 144

-57.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$29.25 P 384

10.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.83 P 76.6

48.89%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.33 P 30.61

24.46%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.76 P 9.96

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.45 P 5.87

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.08 P 27.37

19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.65 P 34.77

40.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.48 P 19.47

27.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.88 P 11.60

60.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.90 P 24.93

-14.74%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.54 P 33.37

-11.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$6.07 P 79.8

226.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.57 P 60.1

-23.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$4.99 P 65.6

127.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.65 P 21.71

75.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.41 P 18.52

21.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.98 P 26.02

14.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.68 P 22.12

26.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.41 P 18.58

4.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.18 P 15.48

20.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.47 P 19.35

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.92 P 12.04

-34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.81 P 50.1

13.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.49 P 59.0

314.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.47 P 19.37

22.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.78 P 23.38

66.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.60 P 7.94

416.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.59 P 33.98

-58.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$3.06 P 40.14

26.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.37 P 18.04

4.38%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$20.2K P 264.8K

37.81%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$21.1K P 277.4K

27.76%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$61.8 P 812

69.50%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$19.56 P 257

-41.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$41.92 P 551

-58.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.24 P 81.9

24.68%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$129 P 1,693

347.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$2,613 P 34.3K

343.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$47.69 P 626

33.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$17.08 P 224

70.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$68.0 P 893

41.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$73.0 P 959

23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.67

-52.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Bonwapitse: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $29.00 in Bonwapitse. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $174 – making Bonwapitse the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bonwapitse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 121% more than Bonwapitse, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $860 in Bonwapitse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $29.00 in Bonwapitse. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bonwapitse, where all-in costs run around $573, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Bonwapitse it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bonwapitse costs $573 versus $1,265 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Bonwapitse. 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.