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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $417 in Dhaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $710 in Dhaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,003 in Dhaka.

Living in Phuket is roughly 203% more expensive than Dhaka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Dhaka 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.40 ৳294

90.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$12.79 ৳1,567

264.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.04 ৳618

68.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.22 ৳517

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 ৳611

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.22 ৳272

36.49%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.32 ৳38.90

115.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.18 ৳21.62

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.77 ৳94.4

183.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.66 ৳80.5

187.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.66 ৳80.8

233.33%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.30 ৳160

70.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.79 ৳833

194.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.49 ৳428

4.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.41 ৳785

106.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.83 ৳346

14.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.08 ৳133

57.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.54 ৳312

-5.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.85 ৳104

144.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.44 ৳53.9

261.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.78 ৳95.0

89.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.36 ৳43.54

186.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.28 ৳34.07

85.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.28 ৳1,505

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 ৳477

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 ৳852

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.89 ৳354

47.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.39 ৳47.83

248.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$25.03 ৳3,067

-54.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.26 ৳154

149.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.39 ৳48.37

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$3.14 ৳384

338.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.06 ৳130

26.42%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$29.1K ৳3.6M

-5.00%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$28.3K ৳3.5M

19.66%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$33.04 ৳4,049

274.06%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$4.77 ৳584

183.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$13.01 ৳1,594

43.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$19.65 ৳2,408

214.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$14.51 ৳1,777

18.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.02 ৳493

127.36%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$46.77 ৳5,731

1402.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,961 ৳240.3K

709.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$18.47 ৳2,263

221.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$23.83 ৳2,920

47.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$46.72 ৳5,725

146.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$36.33 ৳4,452

131.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$115 ৳14.1K

436.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$64.2 ৳7,864

574.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$314 ৳38.5K

556.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$190 ৳23.3K

695.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,489 ৳182.4K

144.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$667 ৳81.8K

293.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$288 ৳35.2K

76.29%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $115 in Dhaka. 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $122 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 203% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 76% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $115 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $417 in Dhaka – a 203% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 120% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $417 in Dhaka versus $1,261 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 203% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.