Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Budaors

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,488 in Budaors, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Budaors
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Budaors Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Budaors

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Budaors

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Budaors actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,488 in Budaors, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Budaors $1,488

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,219 in Budaors, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Budaors $2,219

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,949 in Budaors, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Budaors $2,949

Phuket is about 14% cheaper than Budaors, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Budaors is 9% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$11.39 Ft 3,728

-60.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$61.3 Ft 20.1K

-47.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.32 Ft 3,378

-14.63%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.38 Ft 780

18.91%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.54 Ft 504

-43.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.81 Ft 593

-72.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.37 Ft 776

8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.79 Ft 914

31.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.19 Ft 390

39.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.64 Ft 536

-10.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.36 Ft 772

-36.44%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.62 Ft 1,187

-42.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$11.08 Ft 3,627

72.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.56 Ft 2,147

-49.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.69 Ft 4,808

-25.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.10 Ft 689

39.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.01 Ft 657

-15.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.39 Ft 782

-5.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$3.84 Ft 1,257

-45.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.08 Ft 354

39.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.39 Ft 455

-0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.55 Ft 507

-30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.58 Ft 191

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.92 Ft 1,937

-29.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.49 Ft 1,797

242.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.24 Ft 406

46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.10 Ft 687

35.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$1.34 Ft 439

8.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$14.33 Ft 4,691

295.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.42 Ft 1,119

-11.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.37 Ft 450

-25.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$18.71 Ft 6,124

-80.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.82 Ft 597

-19.23%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$28.3K Ft 9.3M

-5.33%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$35.2K Ft 11.5M

-24.17%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$170 Ft 55.7K

-43.33%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$23.22 Ft 7,601

-51.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$20.72 Ft 6,782

-18.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$74.7 Ft 24.4K

-9.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$16.64 Ft 5,446

-35.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$10.12 Ft 3,312

-25.89%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$599 Ft 196.0K

-20.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$7,768 Ft 2.5M

44.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$99.8 Ft 32.7K

-37.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$45.67 Ft 15.0K

-37.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$100 Ft 32.8K

-5.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$108 Ft 35.4K

-20.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$549 Ft 179.9K

30.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$554 Ft 181.4K

-11.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$830 Ft 271.7K

132.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$816 Ft 267.2K

75.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$4,048 Ft 1.3M

3.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$3,791 Ft 1.2M

-19.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,713 Ft 560.8K

-70.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.45

-13.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Budaors: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Budaors

$554 37.2% 12.9% $63

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Budaors

$254 17.1% 4.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Budaors

$214 14.4% 71.9% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Budaors

$159 10.7% 30.7% $37

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Budaors

$181 12.2% 49.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Budaors

$95 6.4% 15.4% $13

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Budaors

$30 2% 57.5% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $549 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 in Budaors are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $61 in Budaors. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $254 in Budaors – so Budaors wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇭🇺 Budaors

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

02:19 2:19 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

29,398

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 327 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD). 1 EUR = 366 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Budaors 8,570 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Budaors

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,488 in Budaors – Phuket comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,232 in Budaors. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Budaors, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $549 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Budaors – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $61 in Budaors. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,488 in Budaors. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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