Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bortala Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bortala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $704 in Bortala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,125 in Bortala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,546 in Bortala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 79% more expensive than Bortala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bortala 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.73 ¥18.44

67.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$20.68 ¥140

125.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.77 ¥32.24

77.57%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.93 ¥19.81

3.41%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.43 ¥2.90

60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.29 ¥1.99

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.89 ¥6.04

179.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.05 ¥13.85

78.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.78 ¥12.07

22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.60 ¥10.85

18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.89 ¥6.03

147.19%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.59 ¥10.73

39.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.81 ¥86.7

56.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.14 ¥21.20

16.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.06 ¥68.0

31.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.80 ¥12.18

79.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.26 ¥8.52

34.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.41 ¥9.52

69.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.13 ¥7.65

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.69 ¥4.64

130.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.91 ¥6.14

62.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.56 ¥3.79

83.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.52 ¥3.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.07 ¥20.73

38.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.86 ¥66.7

90.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.80 ¥5.40

120.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.60 ¥10.80

72.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.27 ¥1.81

403.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$16.58 ¥112

-31.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.38 ¥9.33

127.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.33 ¥2.23

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.65 ¥44.99

107.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.17 ¥7.89

14.53%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$19.5K ¥131.6K

42.23%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$16.5K ¥111.7K

104.98%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$46.69 ¥316

164.70%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$9.90 ¥67.0

36.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$11.40 ¥77.1

63.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$42.09 ¥285

46.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$13.86 ¥93.7

24.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.39 ¥43.19

43.04%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$340 ¥2,300

106.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$17.0K ¥114.9K

-6.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$42.78 ¥289

38.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$30.75 ¥208

14.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$72.3 ¥489

59.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$73.6 ¥497

14.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$277 ¥1,874

123.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$188 ¥1,271

130.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$596 ¥4,028

246.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$359 ¥2,425

321.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,970 ¥20.1K

22.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,619 ¥10.9K

62.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$620 ¥4,192

-18.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.87

37.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bortala: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $277 in Bortala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bortala pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Bortala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $195 per month, with Bortala 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 Bortala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bortala wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bortala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bortala earns 22% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $277 in Bortala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $704 in Bortala – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bortala runs roughly 46% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $704 in Bortala versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bortala but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bortala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bortala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bortala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bortala 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 Bortala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.