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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $996 in Foca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,435 in Foca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,873 in Foca.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Foca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Foca 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$5.35 BAM 8.98

-12.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,060

$23.42 BAM 39.33

37.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿286

$4.73 BAM 7.94

83.51%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.4

$1.59 BAM 2.67

82.39%

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

$0.84 ฿27.78

$1.38 BAM 2.31

-39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.10

$0.86 BAM 1.44

-43.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.7

$1.81 BAM 3.04

37.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.39 BAM 4.02

56.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$1.22 BAM 2.04

54.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.36

$1.14 BAM 1.92

23.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.4

$1.63 BAM 2.74

-0.61%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.8

$2.08 BAM 3.49

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿653

$6.99 BAM 11.74

183.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.64 BAM 11.15

-47.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$10.55 BAM 17.72

7.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.4

$0.86 BAM 1.44

237.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.8

$1.74 BAM 2.93

-1.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.8

$2.31 BAM 3.89

-1.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.2

$1.76 BAM 2.95

21.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.53

$1.06 BAM 1.78

38.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.73

$1.40 BAM 2.35

1.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.11

$1.19 BAM 1.99

-7.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.68

$0.95 BAM 1.60

-36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.67 BAM 6.17

17.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$8.31 BAM 13.95

123.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.3

$0.92 BAM 1.54

95.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.6

$1.17 BAM 1.96

153.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.9

$1.36 BAM 2.28

65.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿773

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.80 BAM 3.03

72.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.42

$0.57 BAM 0.96

89.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$17.52 BAM 29.43

-77.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.97

$1.57 BAM 2.63

-8.92%

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

$27.8K ฿914.4K

$31.8K BAM 53.4K

-12.65%

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

$27.0K ฿888.0K

$22.2K BAM 37.3K

21.65%

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

$105 ฿3,449

$163 BAM 273

-35.60%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$16.91 BAM 28.40

-32.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$35.86 BAM 60.2

-51.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,788

$33.81 BAM 56.8

60.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿377

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$6.08 BAM 10.22

27.96%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$306 BAM 514

88.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.2K

$3,664 BAM 6,154

216.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,094

$86.3 BAM 145

-26.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿958

$36.91 BAM 62.0

-21.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,167

$70.6 BAM 119

36.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,962

$148 BAM 249

-39.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$158 BAM 265

364.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$259 BAM 435

93.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.0K

$538 BAM 903

295.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$379 BAM 637

230.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.3K

$2,488 BAM 4,179

42.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.3K

$1,854 BAM 3,113

41.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.44

25.45%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Foca: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $158 in Foca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Foca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $203 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, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,494 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: $733 in Phuket versus $158 in Foca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $306 in Foca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Foca – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $996 in Foca versus $1,265 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.