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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $937 in Brcko.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,381 in Brcko.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,825 in Brcko.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Brcko, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Brcko 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.14 BAM 12.23

-36.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$35.59 BAM 61.0

29.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.48 BAM 9.38

61.31%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.75 BAM 3.00

74.86%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.01 BAM 1.73

-27.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.73 BAM 1.25

-45.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.92 BAM 1.58

164.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.11 BAM 3.62

79.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.42 BAM 2.43

59.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.15 BAM 1.96

57.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.39 BAM 4.10

-5.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.89 BAM 4.95

-22.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.12 BAM 17.34

92.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.52 BAM 12.87

-51.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.19 BAM 22.59

-1.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.20 BAM 2.06

169.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.62 BAM 2.78

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.84 BAM 3.16

29.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.73 BAM 2.96

17.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.84 BAM 1.44

82.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.71 BAM 1.21

111.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.96 BAM 1.65

2.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.02 BAM 1.75

-49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.16 BAM 5.41

40.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.47 BAM 14.50

116.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.25 BAM 2.14

48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.00 BAM 3.43

34.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.15 BAM 1.98

22.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$34.77 BAM 59.6

-66.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.21 BAM 2.07

157.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.52 BAM 0.90

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$10.59 BAM 18.14

33.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.50 BAM 2.57

-12.67%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.9K BAM 40.9K

16.35%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.6K BAM 45.5K

25.03%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$120 BAM 206

1.73%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$11.78 BAM 20.18

15.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.90 BAM 49.50

-35.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$26.04 BAM 44.60

132.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$10.97 BAM 18.79

54.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.68 BAM 9.72

59.68%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$153 BAM 262

361.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,271 BAM 5,602

383.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$23.87 BAM 40.89

145.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$17.78 BAM 30.46

98.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$88.3 BAM 151

30.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$87.8 BAM 150

-4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$359 BAM 615

74.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$267 BAM 457

66.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$529 BAM 906

285.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$355 BAM 607

320.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,533 BAM 2,625

127.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,195 BAM 2,047

115.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$503 BAM 861

-0.57%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Brcko: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Brcko for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $233 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 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Brcko. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $359 in Brcko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $153 in Brcko. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $937 in Brcko versus $1,250 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.