Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bra Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,660 in Bra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,520 in Bra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,380 in Bra.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 25% less than in Bra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Bra is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$22.79 €19.96

-80.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$41.26 €36.13

11.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$11.65 €10.20

-24.12%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.66 €1.45

84.34%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$3.28 €2.88

-77.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.42 €1.24

-71.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$5.68 €4.98

-57.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.71 €4.13

-19.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.63 €1.43

38.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.64 €2.31

-31.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.69 €2.36

-16.36%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.37 €2.95

-33.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.21 €11.57

47.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$11.80 €10.33

-69.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$19.39 €16.98

-32.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.38 €2.08

35.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.19 €1.92

-26.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.29 €2.01

3.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$3.42 €2.99

-40.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.72 €1.51

-11.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.75 €1.54

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.13 €0.99

-13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.72 €0.63

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$7.04 €6.16

-36.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.31 €5.53

190.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.75 €1.54

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.24 €1.96

19.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.78 €1.56

-20.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$46.52 €40.75

-74.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$8.06 €7.06

-61.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.52 €1.33

-31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$11.51 €10.08

22.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$2.01 €1.76

-34.83%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$27.4K €24.0K

1.48%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$24.7K €21.6K

34.62%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$103 €89.9

19.28%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$10.29 €9.01

32.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$29.39 €25.74

-36.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$70.1 €61.4

-13.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$23.02 €20.16

-26.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$10.04 €8.79

-9.66%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$117 €102

504.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$16.3K €14.3K

-3.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$116 €102

-49.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$54.6 €47.82

-35.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$114 €99.6

1.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$137 €120

-39.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$690 €604

-9.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$575 €504

-22.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,225 €1,073

66.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$914 €800

63.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,960 €2,593

17.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,040 €1,787

26.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

77.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bra: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $690 in Bra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Bra. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $323, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Bra. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $2,490 in Bra 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 $690 in Bra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $117 in Bra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Bra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,660 in Bra, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Bra. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,250 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bra 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Bra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.