Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bunia

For one person, living is cheaper in Bunia: $400 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bunia

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bunia

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 Bunia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $400 in Bunia.

Phuket $1,278
Bunia $400

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $652 in Bunia.

Phuket $2,216
Bunia $652

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $904 in Bunia.

Phuket $3,154
Bunia $904

Living in Phuket is roughly 219% more expensive than in Bunia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bunia 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.99 CDF 2,230

67.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.99 CDF 4,493

-26.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.96 CDF 4,421

-23.47%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.59 CDF 8,105

-41.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$3.09 CDF 6,970

517.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.07 CDF 11.5K

-34.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$4.92 CDF 11.1K

121.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$5.13 CDF 11.6K

-42.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.53 CDF 3,452

10.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.44 CDF 5,499

-7.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.95 CDF 4,413

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.96 CDF 6,680

-48.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$3.07 CDF 6,927

-55.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$3.92 CDF 8,847

-72.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.82 CDF 1,856

-36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.17 CDF 13.9K

-31.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.07 CDF 6,937

-40.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$4.98 CDF 11.2K

-42.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$14.88 CDF 33.6K

-79.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$5.02 CDF 11.3K

-79.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$14.74 CDF 33.3K

-74.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$2.02 CDF 4,555

-27.23%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

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

$11.26 ฿380

$14.90 CDF 33.6K

-24.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$10.07 CDF 22.8K

567.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$15.28 CDF 34.5K

-29.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$12.86 CDF 29.0K

-41.68%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$3,477 CDF 7.9M

223.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$30.31 CDF 68.4K

105.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$44.70 CDF 100.9K

-36.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$55.2 CDF 124.6K

70.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$65.4 CDF 147.6K

31.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bunia: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bunia

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bunia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bunia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bunia

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bunia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bunia

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bunia

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇩 Bunia

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

01:45 1:45 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

366,126

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.43 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2,258 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.43 USD). 1 EUR = 2,514 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.98 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Bunia 7,580 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bunia

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 Bunia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $400 in Bunia, so Bunia is about 69% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $600 in Bunia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $400 in Bunia – Bunia is about 69% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $400 in Bunia versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Bunia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bunia 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.