Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dhaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dhaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $415 in Dhaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $705 in Dhaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $995 in Dhaka.

Living in Phuket is roughly 197% more expensive than Dhaka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Dhaka 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.42 ৳297

91.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$12.53 ৳1,539

273.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.94 ৳607

78.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 ৳505

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 ৳615

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.18 ৳268

37.61%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.32 ৳39.01

131.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.16 ৳20.10

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.76 ৳93.9

197.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.66 ৳80.7

178.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.66 ৳81.2

239.39%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.26 ৳154

84.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.68 ৳820

194.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.46 ৳425

5.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$6.50 ৳798

101.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.79 ৳342

21.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.12 ৳138

46.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.67 ৳328

-9.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.90 ৳111

125.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.47 ৳57.4

231.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.79 ৳96.8

89.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.36 ৳43.60

183.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.30 ৳37.36

63.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.34 ৳1,515

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 ৳480

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 ৳877

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.90 ৳356

53.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.40 ৳49.03

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$24.92 ৳3,060

-53.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.25 ৳153

149.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.39 ৳48.07

156.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.04 ৳373

363.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.06 ৳130

27.36%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$28.8K ৳3.5M

-5.60%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.4K ৳3.5M

15.97%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$32.13 ৳3,944

288.98%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.71 ৳578

188.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$13.35 ৳1,639

38.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$19.36 ৳2,377

217.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$14.43 ৳1,772

16.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.19 ৳514

119.33%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$47.21 ৳5,796

1378.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,929 ৳236.8K

708.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$18.22 ৳2,236

217.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$23.80 ৳2,921

48.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$47.14 ৳5,788

139.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$36.51 ৳4,483

136.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$119 ৳14.6K

416.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$64.0 ৳7,852

597.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$306 ৳37.5K

570.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$187 ৳22.9K

699.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,306 ৳160.3K

189.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$621 ৳76.2K

326.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$304 ৳37.4K

72.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.52

-49.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $119 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 72% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka 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 Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 197% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 72% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $119 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $415 in Dhaka – a 197% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 117% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $415 in Dhaka versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dhaka 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 Dhaka 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 Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 197% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.