Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Budaors Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Budaors

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $1,372 in Budaors, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $2,040 in Budaors, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $2,709 in Budaors, rent included.

Phuket is about 8% cheaper than Budaors, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Budaors is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$11.72 Ft 3,547

-61.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$52.2 Ft 15.8K

-10.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.75 Ft 2,646

-3.20%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.24 Ft 678

35.27%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.68 Ft 509

-58.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.28 Ft 389

-71.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.49 Ft 753

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.93 Ft 887

24.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.09 Ft 330

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.51 Ft 457

25.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.11 Ft 640

4.27%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.13 Ft 946

-29.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.11 Ft 3,060

97.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.40 Ft 1,936

-42.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$13.25 Ft 4,009

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.84 Ft 556

75.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.99 Ft 603

-14.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.15 Ft 650

11.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.22 Ft 975

-35.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.14 Ft 344

39.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.40 Ft 424

5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.50 Ft 453

-31.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.56 Ft 171

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.71 Ft 2,030

-36.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$4.91 Ft 1,485

282.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.17 Ft 353

50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.67 Ft 505

65.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.33 Ft 401

2.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$13.82 Ft 4,181

-17.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.21 Ft 972

-2.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.18 Ft 357

-11.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$19.23 Ft 5,818

-28.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.83 Ft 553

-26.78%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$25.7K Ft 7.8M

7.73%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$31.7K Ft 9.6M

6.83%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$144 Ft 43.7K

-14.45%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$26.14 Ft 7,908

-48.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$19.78 Ft 5,985

-5.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$69.8 Ft 21.1K

-11.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$10.66 Ft 3,226

61.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$8.75 Ft 2,648

4.46%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$458 Ft 138.6K

53.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,249 Ft 1.9M

153.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$66.3 Ft 20.0K

-10.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$38.55 Ft 11.7K

-9.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$91.9 Ft 27.8K

25.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$91.4 Ft 27.7K

-8.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$526 Ft 159.0K

17.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$534 Ft 161.6K

-18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$809 Ft 244.7K

154.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$821 Ft 248.5K

84.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$4,222 Ft 1.3M

-13.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$4,059 Ft 1.2M

-35.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,752 Ft 530.1K

-71.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.5

-28.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Budaors: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $526 in Budaors. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 246% higher in Budaors, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $52.0 in Budaors. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Phuket vs $233 in Budaors – so Budaors wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Budaors: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,261 in Phuket, $1,372 in Budaors – roughly 9% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $2,058 in Budaors. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Budaors – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $52.0 in Budaors. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,261, than in Budaors at $1,372. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budaors it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,261 in Phuket to $1,372 in Budaors. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budaors makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.