Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bridgetown Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bridgetown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,668 in Bridgetown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,891 in Bridgetown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $4,115 in Bridgetown.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 24% less than in Bridgetown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Bridgetown is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$19.90 BBD 39.79

-77.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$92.5 BBD 185

-50.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.00 BBD 17.99

-2.67%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$4.80 BBD 9.60

-38.12%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.53 BBD 3.06

-54.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.28 BBD 2.56

-69.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.54 BBD 5.09

-0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$5.84 BBD 11.68

-35.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$3.81 BBD 7.62

-43.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.75 BBD 5.50

-33.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.28 BBD 6.57

-33.54%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$5.56 BBD 11.13

-59.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$9.29 BBD 18.58

115.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.74 BBD 17.47

-58.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$9.88 BBD 19.77

37.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$4.10 BBD 8.19

-20.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.54 BBD 5.09

-35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$4.62 BBD 9.24

-49.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$3.12 BBD 6.23

-33.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.87 BBD 5.74

-45.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.44 BBD 4.89

-40.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.87 BBD 5.74

-65.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$2.08 BBD 4.17

-76.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$8.21 BBD 16.41

-47.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$13.63 BBD 27.26

36.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.66 BBD 3.32

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.92 BBD 5.83

-9.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.79 BBD 3.58

-20.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$25.56 BBD 51.1

-54.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$17.38 BBD 34.75

-81.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.99 BBD 1.97

4.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$40.18 BBD 80.4

-65.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$2.03 BBD 4.06

-33.99%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$34.5K BBD 68.9K

-19.34%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$37.3K BBD 74.6K

-10.50%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$85.8 BBD 172

43.38%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$58.1 BBD 116

-76.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$49.93 BBD 99.9

-63.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$72.2 BBD 144

-15.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$10.42 BBD 20.85

-14.88%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$240 BBD 479

186.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,494 BBD 13.0K

142.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$60.3 BBD 121

-1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$64.0 BBD 128

-45.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$182 BBD 363

-36.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$124 BBD 247

-32.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$599 BBD 1,198

3.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$485 BBD 970

-8.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,782 BBD 3,565

14.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,337 BBD 2,675

11.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$3,536 BBD 7,072

-2.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$3,559 BBD 7,117

-28.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,587 BBD 3,174

-68.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.85

-8.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bridgetown: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $599 in Bridgetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgetown pays 222% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $92.0 in Bridgetown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $363 per month, with Phuket 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 Bridgetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Bridgetown. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 222% lower in Bridgetown. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $599 in Bridgetown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $240 in Bridgetown. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Bridgetown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,668 in Bridgetown, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Bridgetown. 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 $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bridgetown 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 32% less than in Bridgetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.