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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $437 in Dhaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $731 in Dhaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,024 in Dhaka.

Living in Phuket is roughly 189% more expensive than in Dhaka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.41 ৳296

93.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$13.34 ৳1,639

141.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$4.98 ৳612

74.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 ৳617

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 ৳512

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.40 ৳295

20.83%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.33 ৳40.75

154.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.15 ৳18.99

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.84 ৳103

125.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.62 ৳76.7

127.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.70 ৳85.7

131.43%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.22 ৳150

83.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$8.90 ৳1,093

122.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$3.26 ৳401

6.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$6.60 ৳811

72.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.83 ৳348

2.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.95 ৳117

81.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.30 ৳283

-1.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.68 ৳83.1

213.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.23 ৳28.16

539.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.52 ৳63.4

173.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.31 ৳38.62

254.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.30 ৳37.22

100.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.18 ৳1,496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.49 ৳674

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.23 ৳397

33.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.40 ৳48.52

462.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$23.11 ৳2,839

1.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.19 ৳146

160.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.43 ৳52.5

151.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$3.31 ৳407

16.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.11 ৳136

28.83%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$30.2K ৳3.7M

-7.89%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$32.4K ৳4.0M

-16.70%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$45.49 ৳5,589

130.38%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$4.00 ৳491

184.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$11.31 ৳1,390

55.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$16.78 ৳2,061

223.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$15.02 ৳1,846

-23.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.99 ৳491

94.99%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$90.4 ৳11.1K

538.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$2,675 ৳328.6K

332.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$16.73 ৳2,055

280.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$19.85 ৳2,438

46.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$51.1 ৳6,278

88.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$36.96 ৳4,540

143.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$155 ৳19.1K

372.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$73.9 ৳9,079

577.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$437 ৳53.7K

386.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$218 ৳26.8K

474.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,644 ৳201.9K

114.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$764 ৳93.9K

243.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$243 ৳29.8K

109.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.48

-46.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $155 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 109% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $124 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, Getting Around. The 189% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 109% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $155 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $437 in Dhaka – a 189% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 2% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $437 in Dhaka versus $1,265 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 189% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.