Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cox's Bazar

For one person, living is cheaper in Cox’s Bazar: $348 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Cox's Bazar
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Cox's Bazar Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Cox's Bazar

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cox's Bazar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $348 in Cox’s Bazar.

Phuket $1,278
Cox's Bazar $348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $558 in Cox’s Bazar.

Phuket $2,216
Cox's Bazar $558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $769 in Cox’s Bazar.

Phuket $3,154
Cox's Bazar $769

Living in Phuket is roughly 268% more expensive than in Cox’s Bazar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cox’s Bazar 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.56 ৳194

186.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$12.21 ৳1,513

165.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$2.95 ৳366

198.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ৳320

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ৳308

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.92 ৳238

47.40%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.36 ৳44.57

141.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.10 ৳12.90

390.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.80 ৳99.2

107.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.50 ৳62.2

192.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.66 ৳81.9

127.27%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.04 ৳129

100.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.20 ৳892

164.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.07 ৳256

59.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.29 ৳904

49.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.35 ৳291

24.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.88 ৳109

92.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.60 ৳199

40.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.52 ৳64.1

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.46 ৳57.2

228.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.58 ৳71.3

137.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.47 ৳58.5

127.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.30 ৳36.72

73.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.68 ৳952

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ৳316

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ৳565

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.91 ৳236

119.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.29 ৳36.32

941.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.35 ৳43.20

191.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$4.16 ৳516

-11.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.14 ৳142

28.95%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$31.7K ৳3.9M

-15.43%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$34.0K ৳4.2M

-21.42%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$12.20 ৳1,512

689.75%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$2.63 ৳326

328.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$11.12 ৳1,377

51.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$16.05 ৳1,989

318.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$4.07 ৳504

163.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.36 ৳292

217.80%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$24.65 ৳3,055

1830.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$1,454 ৳180.1K

674.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$22.55 ৳2,795

176.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$18.21 ৳2,256

56.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$32.91 ৳4,078

186.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$34.87 ৳4,321

146.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$164 ৳20.4K

335.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$96.1 ৳11.9K

411.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$300 ৳37.1K

543.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$164 ৳20.3K

772.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$348 ৳43.1K

1101.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$261 ৳32.4K

1065.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$286 ৳35.4K

75.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.5

-51.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cox's Bazar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Cox's Bazar

$96 27.6% 80.4% $395

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Cox's Bazar

$108 31% 59.6% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Cox's Bazar

$26 7.5% 79.2% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Cox's Bazar

$49 14.1% 59.9% $73

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Cox's Bazar

$46 13.3% 62% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Cox's Bazar

$21 6% 74.7% $61

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cox's Bazar

$2 * 0.6% 97.1% $69

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $164 in Cox’s Bazar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 76% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $12 in Cox’s Bazar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $108 per month, with Cox’s Bazar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇩 Cox's Bazar

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

10:47 10:47 AM

1 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

223,522

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.07 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.23 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, 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).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.07 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.23 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Cox's Bazar 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Cox's Bazar

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 Cox's Bazar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $348 in Cox’s Bazar, so Cox’s Bazar is about 73% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $164 in Cox’s Bazar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% 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 $348 in Cox’s Bazar – Cox’s Bazar is about 73% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $348 in Cox’s Bazar versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Cox’s Bazar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cox’s Bazar 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.

It comes down to priorities – Cox’s Bazar wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.