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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $706 in Bucha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,101 in Bucha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,497 in Bucha.

Living in Phuket is roughly 79% more expensive than Bucha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bucha 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$8.53 ₴380

-46.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$31.02 ₴1,381

50.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$5.89 ₴262

43.80%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$1.02 ₴45.25

197.06%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$0.59 ₴26.24

16.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.43 ₴19.11

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$0.96 ₴42.60

159.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$1.48 ₴65.8

147.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$0.94 ₴41.71

131.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.80 ₴35.46

137.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.42 ₴63.1

54.93%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$1.47 ₴65.6

51.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$7.56 ₴337

164.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$4.29 ₴191

-14.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$7.72 ₴344

71.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$0.90 ₴39.85

258.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.47 ₴65.3

15.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$1.88 ₴83.5

27.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.18 ₴97.0

-4.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$0.54 ₴23.83

194.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$0.55 ₴24.50

169.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$1.60 ₴71.1

-35.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.54 ₴24.16

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$2.56 ₴114

66.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$4.12 ₴183

356.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$0.85 ₴38.00

107.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.37 ₴60.8

101.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$0.37 ₴16.66

267.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$2.04 ₴90.7

53.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.38 ₴16.72

173.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$2.88 ₴128

378.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.33 ₴59.2

0.75%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$31.2K ₴1.4M

-11.26%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$24.6K ₴1.1M

37.81%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$76.0 ₴3,382

62.64%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$5.71 ₴254

136.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$7.17 ₴319

160.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$24.80 ₴1,104

149.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$9.93 ₴442

73.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$4.26 ₴190

114.55%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$290 ₴12.9K

142.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$7,808 ₴347.6K

103.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$68.6 ₴3,053

-13.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$14.71 ₴655

138.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$78.0 ₴3,470

47.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$83.2 ₴3,703

1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$337 ₴15.0K

83.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$203 ₴9,028

113.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$442 ₴19.7K

366.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$320 ₴14.3K

371.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$1,004 ₴44.7K

263.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$752 ₴33.5K

249.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$624 ₴27.8K

-18.75%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bucha: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $337 in Bucha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucha pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Bucha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $159 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 79% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $706 including rent). Bucha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bucha earns 23% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $337 in Bucha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $706 in Bucha – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $706 in Bucha versus $1,261 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 79% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.