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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,393 in Budaors, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $2,037 in Budaors, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $2,681 in Budaors, rent included.

Phuket is about 12% cheaper than Budaors, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Phuket sits 8% below the global median, while Budaors is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$11.65 Ft 3,622

-60.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$51.5 Ft 16.0K

-8.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$8.48 Ft 2,635

4.25%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$2.33 Ft 724

28.76%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$1.74 Ft 541

-57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$1.35 Ft 418

-72.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$2.40 Ft 745

1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.96 Ft 920

21.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.04 Ft 325

117.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$1.52 Ft 474

21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$2.07 Ft 644

8.21%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$3.12 Ft 971

-25.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$10.16 Ft 3,158

93.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.14 Ft 1,909

-40.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$13.39 Ft 4,161

-2.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$1.83 Ft 570

85.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.98 Ft 616

-17.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$2.16 Ft 671

11.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$3.23 Ft 1,004

-37.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$1.18 Ft 365

32.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$1.42 Ft 440

5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$1.50 Ft 466

-32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.57 Ft 179

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.65 Ft 2,066

-33.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$4.84 Ft 1,505

290.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$1.14 Ft 353

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$1.71 Ft 532

60.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$1.26 Ft 393

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$13.75 Ft 4,273

-16.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$3.24 Ft 1,007

-3.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$1.20 Ft 372

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$18.93 Ft 5,884

-25.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.84 Ft 573

-26.63%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$25.6K Ft 8.0M

6.11%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$31.3K Ft 9.7M

5.13%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$146 Ft 45.2K

-14.12%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$26.28 Ft 8,169

-48.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$19.34 Ft 6,011

-4.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$69.6 Ft 21.6K

-11.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$10.40 Ft 3,233

61.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$8.99 Ft 2,794

2.22%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$463 Ft 144.0K

50.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$8,053 Ft 2.5M

93.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$67.7 Ft 21.1K

-14.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$38.46 Ft 12.0K

-8.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$90.9 Ft 28.2K

24.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$90.9 Ft 28.3K

-4.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$530 Ft 164.7K

16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$527 Ft 163.7K

-15.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$820 Ft 254.9K

149.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$807 Ft 250.9K

84.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$4,111 Ft 1.3M

-8.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$3,932 Ft 1.2M

-32.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$1,720 Ft 534.5K

-69.54%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Budaors: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $530 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 228% 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 $51.0 in Budaors. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Phuket vs $232 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: $1,232 in Phuket, $1,393 in Budaors – roughly 13% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $2,090 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 $51.0 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 $1,232, than in Budaors at $1,393. 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 $1,232 in Phuket to $1,393 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.