Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bursa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bursa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,076 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,618 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,160 in Bursa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than Bursa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bursa 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$9.65 ₺445

-52.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,535

$30.92 ₺1,425

50.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$7.74 ₺357

9.43%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$2.85 ₺131

6.32%

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

$0.69 ฿22.69

$1.12 ₺51.8

-38.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.42 ₺19.47

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.9

$2.11 ₺97.2

18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$2.23 ₺103

64.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.8

$0.87 ₺40.32

150.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.6

$0.76 ₺34.86

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.95 ₺89.7

12.82%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$1.93 ₺89.2

15.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿658

$9.18 ₺423

117.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$5.59 ₺258

-34.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$18.48 ₺852

-28.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.49 ₺68.7

116.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$2.28 ₺105

-25.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.8

$1.32 ₺61.0

81.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.62 ₺74.9

28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.4

$0.76 ₺34.94

109.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.83

$0.47 ₺21.44

214.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.90

$0.82 ₺37.67

25.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.01

$0.30 ₺13.89

73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$2.15 ₺99.1

97.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$10.94 ₺504

71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.94 ₺89.4

-9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$2.05 ₺94.6

34.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$1.69 ₺77.9

-19.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$49.28 ₺2,272

-76.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$0.89 ₺41.01

252.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

$0.65 ₺29.90

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿453

$8.79 ₺405

56.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.26

$1.15 ₺52.8

16.52%

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

$27.7K ฿911.1K

$41.6K ₺1.9M

-33.53%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$43.5K ₺2.0M

-22.23%

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

$124 ฿4,069

$56.4 ₺2,601

119.05%

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

$13.52 ฿445

$9.61 ₺443

40.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿615

$11.71 ₺540

59.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,035

$56.7 ₺2,613

9.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$37.40 ₺1,724

-53.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$7.57 ₺349

20.74%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$366 ₺16.9K

91.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿522.5K

$18.1K ₺832.8K

-12.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$56.2 ₺2,592

5.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,154

$43.80 ₺2,019

-19.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,795

$102 ₺4,717

12.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,767

$79.0 ₺3,644

6.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$441 ₺20.3K

40.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$340 ₺15.7K

27.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$817 ₺37.7K

152.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$517 ₺23.8K

192.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.0K

$1,331 ₺61.4K

173.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.4K

$1,191 ₺54.9K

120.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$1,009 ₺46.5K

-49.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

42.62

-87.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bursa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $441 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bursa pays 99% 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 Bursa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $223 per month, with Bursa 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 Bursa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bursa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bursa earns 99% 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 $441 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bursa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Bursa versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bursa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bursa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bursa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bursa 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 Bursa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.