Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $422 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$422

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Dhaka

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $422 in Dhaka.

Phuket $1,278
Dhaka $422

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $728 in Dhaka.

Phuket $2,216
Dhaka $728

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,033 in Dhaka.

Phuket $3,154
Dhaka $1,033

Living in Phuket is roughly 203% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.40 ৳298

86.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$12.93 ৳1,604

150.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.78 ৳593

84.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ৳610

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 ৳491

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.38 ৳295

18.91%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.30 ৳37.11

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.17 ৳21.32

188.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.79 ৳97.5

110.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.63 ৳78.4

131.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.72 ৳89.1

108.33%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.18 ৳147

77.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$8.73 ৳1,083

118.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.30 ৳409

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.64 ৳824

64.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.80 ৳347

4.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.86 ৳107

96.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.32 ৳287

-3.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.61 ৳75.8

240.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.23 ৳28.30

556.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.48 ৳59.9

187.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.33 ৳41.25

224.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.30 ৳37.58

73.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 ৳1,516

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.23 ৳649

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 ৳808

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.29 ৳408

27.66%

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 ฿49.03

$0.41 ৳51.3

253.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$21.27 ৳2,638

166.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.18 ৳147

155.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.38 ৳47.19

168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$3.27 ৳406

12.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.16 ৳143

26.72%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$29.9K ৳3.7M

-10.45%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$32.5K ৳4.0M

-17.90%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$46.86 ৳5,813

105.61%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.31 ৳535

161.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$11.09 ৳1,376

51.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$17.52 ৳2,173

283.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$17.67 ৳2,191

-39.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.31 ৳534

74.01%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$139 ৳17.2K

242.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$2,570 ৳318.8K

338.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$16.32 ৳2,025

282.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$19.36 ৳2,402

46.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$45.97 ৳5,702

105.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$36.74 ৳4,557

133.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$145 ৳18.0K

393.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$68.1 ৳8,449

620.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$461 ৳57.2K

318.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$232 ৳28.8K

516.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,575 ৳195.4K

165.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$789 ৳97.9K

285.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$245 ৳30.3K

105.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.67

-47.80%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Dhaka

$68 16.1% 86.1% $423

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Dhaka

$122 29% 54% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Dhaka

$62 14.8% 50% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Dhaka

$53 12.6% 56.3% $69

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Dhaka

$64 15.2% 47.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Dhaka

$26 6.2% 68.2% $56

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Dhaka

$26 6.2% 63.1% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $145 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.1 times 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 $13 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $122 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

02:22 2:22 AM

1 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.06 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.24 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.06 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.24 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Dhaka 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Dhaka

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 Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is about 67% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.1 times higher, 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 $145 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $422 in Dhaka – Dhaka is about 67% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 62% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $422 in Dhaka versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.