Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Foca Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Foca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $921 in Foca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,387 in Foca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,853 in Foca.

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than in Foca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Foca 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.98 BAM 11.96

-34.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$16.76 BAM 28.70

175.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.97 BAM 15.37

-1.45%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.57 BAM 2.70

94.90%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.98 BAM 1.68

-25.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.57 BAM 0.97

-29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.01 BAM 3.44

20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.79 BAM 4.77

35.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.20 BAM 2.05

88.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.19 BAM 2.04

52.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.57 BAM 2.69

43.31%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.96 BAM 5.06

-23.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.60 BAM 16.44

103.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.24 BAM 8.97

-30.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.92 BAM 20.42

9.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$0.84 BAM 1.43

284.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.65 BAM 2.83

-1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.86 BAM 3.18

27.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.95 BAM 3.34

4.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.19 BAM 2.04

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.31 BAM 2.24

14.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.22 BAM 2.09

-19.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.76 BAM 1.31

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.68 BAM 6.30

20.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.47 BAM 14.51

116.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.70 BAM 1.19

165.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.08 BAM 1.85

148.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.85 BAM 3.16

-23.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$35.83 BAM 61.4

-67.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.48 BAM 2.54

110.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.52 BAM 0.90

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$9.06 BAM 15.52

55.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.52 BAM 2.60

-13.82%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$28.3K BAM 48.4K

-1.59%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.0K BAM 46.2K

23.18%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$169 BAM 289

-27.48%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$19.25 BAM 32.98

-29.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$23.25 BAM 39.82

-19.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$29.29 BAM 50.2

106.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$10.84 BAM 18.56

56.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.59 BAM 7.87

97.60%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$237 BAM 405

198.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,714 BAM 6,360

325.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$75.5 BAM 129

-22.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$37.18 BAM 63.7

-4.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$69.5 BAM 119

66.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$122 BAM 208

-31.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$157 BAM 269

297.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$172 BAM 295

158.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$361 BAM 617

465.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$320 BAM 547

366.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,544 BAM 4,358

36.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,760 BAM 3,014

46.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.02

6.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Foca: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $157 in Foca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Foca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $207 per month, with Foca 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 Foca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,382 in Foca to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $157 in Foca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $237 in Foca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $921 in Foca versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foca but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Foca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foca 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 Foca 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 Foca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.