Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Brcko Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Brcko

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $956 in Brcko.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,414 in Brcko.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,872 in Brcko.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than Brcko, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Brcko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.97 BAM 11.70

-32.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$35.44 BAM 59.6

28.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.57 BAM 9.36

51.35%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.76 BAM 2.96

66.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.01 BAM 1.70

-31.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.68 BAM 1.15

-45.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.85 BAM 1.43

183.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.07 BAM 3.48

79.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.37 BAM 2.30

62.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.17 BAM 1.96

56.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.33 BAM 3.91

-6.87%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.90 BAM 4.88

-23.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.00 BAM 16.80

97.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.31 BAM 12.29

-50.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.36 BAM 22.45

1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.20 BAM 2.01

173.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.70 BAM 2.85

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.85 BAM 3.11

30.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.67 BAM 2.80

24.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.81 BAM 1.36

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.74 BAM 1.24

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.93 BAM 1.57

6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.00 BAM 1.69

-49.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.21 BAM 5.39

37.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.45 BAM 14.19

129.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.27 BAM 2.13

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.05 BAM 3.45

32.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.16 BAM 1.95

18.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$35.76 BAM 60.1

-68.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.16 BAM 1.95

160.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.56 BAM 0.94

76.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.65 BAM 17.89

32.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.44 BAM 2.42

-5.56%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$23.2K BAM 39.0K

21.45%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.9K BAM 43.5K

27.12%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$125 BAM 210

-2.48%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$11.67 BAM 19.61

16.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$28.53 BAM 47.94

-35.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$26.43 BAM 44.41

127.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$10.76 BAM 18.08

59.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.53 BAM 9.29

57.14%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$154 BAM 259

349.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,285 BAM 5,520

377.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$23.26 BAM 39.08

155.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$17.85 BAM 29.99

94.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$87.9 BAM 148

30.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$88.6 BAM 149

-6.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$359 BAM 603

70.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$260 BAM 437

67.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$523 BAM 879

300.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$359 BAM 603

320.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,542 BAM 2,590

143.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,223 BAM 2,055

113.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$514 BAM 863

-1.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.14

28.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Brcko: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $359 in Brcko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brcko pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Brcko for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $232 per month, with Brcko 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 Brcko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brcko is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Brcko earns 1% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $359 in Brcko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $154 in Brcko. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $956 in Brcko versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Brcko but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Brcko the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Brcko is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Brcko 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 Brcko gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.