Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lukavac

For one person, living is cheaper in Lukavac: $929 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Lukavac
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Lukavac Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Lukavac

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lukavac

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $929 in Lukavac.

Phuket $1,208
Lukavac $929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,390 in Lukavac.

Phuket $2,027
Lukavac $1,390

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,852 in Lukavac.

Phuket $2,845
Lukavac $1,852

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Lukavac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Lukavac 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$5.22 BAM 9.08

-15.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$30.83 BAM 53.6

4.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.65 BAM 9.82

55.04%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.71 BAM 2.97

65.50%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.89 BAM 3.28

-52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.18 BAM 2.05

-60.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.31 BAM 4.02

10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.20 BAM 3.83

74.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.28 BAM 2.22

35.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.87 BAM 1.52

68.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.97 BAM 3.43

-23.35%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.61 BAM 4.54

-16.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$10.16 BAM 17.66

93.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$7.40 BAM 12.86

-54.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$10.62 BAM 18.47

5.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.13 BAM 1.96

152.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.60 BAM 2.79

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.36 BAM 2.36

61.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.20 BAM 2.08

70.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.03 BAM 1.80

40.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.03 BAM 1.79

33.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.75 BAM 1.31

42.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.67 BAM 1.16

-23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.86 BAM 6.71

10.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$3.97 BAM 6.91

368.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$0.77 BAM 1.34

131.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$0.94 BAM 1.63

203.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.27 BAM 2.22

77.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$60.8 BAM 106

-63.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.74 BAM 3.02

72.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.59 BAM 1.03

79.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$5.78 BAM 10.06

-33.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.52 BAM 2.64

-4.61%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$30.6K BAM 53.1K

-13.82%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$21.0K BAM 36.5K

28.48%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$92.5 BAM 161

4.16%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$17.40 BAM 30.26

-36.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$25.86 BAM 44.97

-33.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$32.90 BAM 57.2

58.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$5.52 BAM 9.61

41.49%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$138 BAM 239

304.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$3,891 BAM 6,765

197.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$59.0 BAM 103

8.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$32.38 BAM 56.3

-11.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$96.9 BAM 169

-1.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$83.5 BAM 145

5.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$338 BAM 588

118.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$253 BAM 440

82.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$519 BAM 902

303.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$368 BAM 640

226.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,447 BAM 4,255

42.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,734 BAM 3,014

45.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$572 BAM 994

-12.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.3

29.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lukavac: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Lukavac

$253 27.3% 45.2% $209

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Lukavac

$196 21.1% 27.2% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Lukavac

$136 14.6% 9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Lukavac

$122 13.2% 1.6% $2

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Lukavac

$107 11.6% 11.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Lukavac

$44 4.7% 35.2% $24

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Lukavac

$71 7.6% 79% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $338 in Lukavac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lukavac pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Lukavac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $196 per month, with Lukavac cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇦 Lukavac

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

09:56 9:56 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

12,061

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Lukavac 8,590 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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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 Lukavac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lukavac wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lukavac the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Lukavac. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $338 in Lukavac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,208 per month in Phuket versus $929 in Lukavac – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lukavac runs roughly 175% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $929 in Lukavac versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lukavac but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lukavac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lukavac delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $929 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lukavac hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Lukavac 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 Lukavac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.