Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Busia

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $73.2 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$73.2

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Busia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $73.2 in Busia.

Phuket $1,190
Busia $73.2

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $118 in Busia.

Phuket $2,006
Busia $118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $163 in Busia.

Phuket $2,822
Busia $163

Living in Phuket is roughly 1525% more expensive than in Busia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Busia 95% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$0.29 UGX 1,160

489.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.23 UGX 4,972

17.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$1.53 UGX 6,180

37.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$3.78 UGX 15.3K

194.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$2.43 UGX 9,841

16.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$0.78 UGX 3,140

175.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$1.46 UGX 5,898

-8.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$0.24 UGX 961

112.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$1.15 UGX 4,663

280.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$5.03 UGX 20.3K

273.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$0.98 UGX 3,950

77.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.26 UGX 5,110

120.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

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

$11.41 ฿382

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

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

$555 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

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 4, 2026

Last update for Busia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Busia

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Busia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Busia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Busia

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Busia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Busia

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Busia

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇬 Busia

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

12:41 12:41 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

64,900

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,045 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,533 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Busia 7,170 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Busia

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 Busia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 1525% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,785 in Phuket and $110 in Busia 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 273% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,190 per month in Phuket versus $73.2 in Busia – a 1525% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $73.2 in Busia versus $1,190 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Busia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Busia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Busia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $73.2 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Busia 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 Busia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1525% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.