Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Brades

For one person, living is cheaper in Brades: $923 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Brades

🇲🇸 Montserrat

$923

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Brades

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 Brades actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $923 in Brades.

Phuket $1,278
Brades $923

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,139 in Brades.

Phuket $2,216
Brades $2,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,355 in Brades.

Phuket $3,154
Brades $3,355

Living in Phuket is roughly 38% more expensive than in Brades, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Brades 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$18.72 EC$50.5

-76.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$47.37 EC$128

-31.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$12.14 EC$32.78

-27.43%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$7.14 EC$19.27

-60.36%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$2.80 EC$7.55

-68.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.58 EC$4.26

-68.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.93 EC$7.90

-12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.53 EC$12.22

-18.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.47 EC$9.37

-52.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$2.95 EC$7.96

-50.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$7.07 EC$19.08

-70.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.76 EC$15.54

231.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.11 EC$24.59

-63.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$22.89 EC$61.8

-52.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$3.34 EC$9.03

-12.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.38 EC$11.82

-52.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$2.25 EC$6.07

-38.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$5.21 EC$14.06

-79.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$22.17 EC$59.9

-15.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.51 EC$12.19

-37.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$1.89 EC$5.11

-23.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$4.70 EC$12.68

-78.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$1.90 EC$5.12

94.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$22.2K EC$60.0K

20.51%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$15.0K EC$40.4K

78.27%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$92.8 EC$250

3.87%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$40.24 EC$109

-72.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$48.18 EC$130

-65.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$56.4 EC$152

19.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,296 EC$3,499

48.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,280 EC$3,455

11.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,320 EC$3,563

-61.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brades: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Brades

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Brades

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Brades

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Brades

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Brades

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Brades

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Brades

–

Cost Breakdown

Brades pays about 2.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $47 in Brades for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $341 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇸 Brades

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

09:56 9:56 AM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

400

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.332 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Brades 16,540 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Brades

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 Brades: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brades wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Brades the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $923 in Brades – Brades is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Brades is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Brades are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.