Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lukavac Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lukavac

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $883 in Lukavac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,354 in Lukavac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,825 in Lukavac.

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than Lukavac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Lukavac 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.35 BAM 9.00

-12.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$22.71 BAM 38.15

99.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.82 BAM 8.10

74.90%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.15 BAM 1.93

154.78%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.75 BAM 2.95

-60.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.86 BAM 1.44

-56.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.80 BAM 3.02

33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.72 BAM 2.89

116.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.15 BAM 1.93

93.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.90 BAM 1.51

103.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.41 BAM 4.05

-9.96%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.38 BAM 4.01

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.05 BAM 16.89

96.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.04 BAM 11.84

-48.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.54 BAM 22.76

-0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.28 BAM 2.14

156.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.69 BAM 2.84

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.83 BAM 3.08

31.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.68 BAM 2.83

23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.85 BAM 1.43

80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.69 BAM 1.16

114.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.92 BAM 1.55

7.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.97 BAM 1.62

-47.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.59 BAM 6.03

22.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.24 BAM 7.13

357.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.20 BAM 2.01

48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.99 BAM 3.34

36.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.85 BAM 3.11

-25.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$35.34 BAM 59.4

-67.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.82 BAM 3.06

65.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.15 BAM 1.93

-13.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.65 BAM 17.90

32.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.45 BAM 2.44

-6.21%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$23.2K BAM 38.9K

21.75%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.5K BAM 44.6K

24.06%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$125 BAM 209

-2.27%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$18.80 BAM 31.59

-27.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$28.88 BAM 48.53

-36.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$29.31 BAM 49.25

105.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$11.04 BAM 18.54

55.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.48 BAM 9.21

58.58%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$154 BAM 259

349.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,314 BAM 5,569

373.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$69.7 BAM 117

-14.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$35.47 BAM 59.6

-1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$99.9 BAM 168

14.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$117 BAM 197

-29.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$258 BAM 433

137.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$171 BAM 287

155.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$364 BAM 611

476.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$313 BAM 526

381.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,560 BAM 4,301

46.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,847 BAM 3,103

41.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$588 BAM 988

-13.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.14

28.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lukavac: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $258 in Lukavac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lukavac pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Lukavac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $216 per month, with Lukavac 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 Lukavac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lukavac wins on cost – living expenses run 43% 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, Lukavac earns 16% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $258 in Lukavac. 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 $883 in Lukavac – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lukavac runs roughly 210% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $883 in Lukavac versus $1,265 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 $883 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 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.