Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bucha Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bucha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $713 in Bucha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,114 in Bucha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,514 in Bucha.

Living in Phuket is roughly 78% more expensive than Bucha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Bucha 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$8.65 ₴380

-46.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$30.99 ₴1,362

49.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$6.15 ₴271

41.14%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.00 ₴43.91

195.00%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.63 ₴27.63

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.39 ₴17.29

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$0.94 ₴41.51

169.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$1.46 ₴64.4

158.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.03 ₴45.14

115.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.74 ₴32.49

143.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.38 ₴60.7

58.70%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.50 ₴66.1

54.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$7.52 ₴331

157.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.49 ₴197

-16.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$7.90 ₴347

67.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$0.85 ₴37.31

291.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.48 ₴65.0

11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.89 ₴83.3

21.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.21 ₴97.2

-9.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.58 ₴25.63

163.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.60 ₴26.28

151.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.59 ₴69.7

-35.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.58 ₴25.52

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.57 ₴113

71.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$4.13 ₴182

369.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$0.85 ₴37.34

111.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.37 ₴60.0

95.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.35 ₴15.37

308.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$2.07 ₴90.9

46.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.35 ₴15.25

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$2.92 ₴128

368.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.33 ₴58.6

-2.26%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$31.2K ₴1.4M

-10.58%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$24.9K ₴1.1M

32.49%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$77.0 ₴3,386

59.64%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$5.68 ₴250

143.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$7.21 ₴317

161.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$24.87 ₴1,093

145.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$9.80 ₴431

71.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$4.41 ₴194

101.13%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$285 ₴12.5K

144.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$7,667 ₴337.0K

109.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$68.0 ₴2,989

-12.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$14.36 ₴631

142.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$76.7 ₴3,374

47.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$83.9 ₴3,689

1.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$338 ₴14.8K

82.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$205 ₴9,002

119.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$447 ₴19.6K

366.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$309 ₴13.6K

383.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,037 ₴45.6K

260.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$764 ₴33.6K

248.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$635 ₴27.9K

-15.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Bucha: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $338 in Bucha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucha pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $31 in Bucha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $161 per month, with Bucha 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 Bucha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Bucha differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $713 including rent). Bucha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bucha earns 19% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $338 in Bucha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Phuket versus $713 in Bucha – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $713 in Bucha versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucha but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bucha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Bucha 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 Bucha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.