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 $980 in Lukavac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,434 in Lukavac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,888 in Lukavac.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Lukavac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Lukavac 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$5.24 BAM 8.79

-11.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,060

$29.69 BAM 49.86

8.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿286

$5.77 BAM 9.70

50.43%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.4

$1.68 BAM 2.83

72.62%

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

$0.84 ฿27.78

$1.80 BAM 3.02

-53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.10

$1.24 BAM 2.09

-60.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.7

$2.38 BAM 4.01

4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.20 BAM 3.69

69.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$1.16 BAM 1.95

62.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.36

$0.93 BAM 1.56

51.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.4

$2.09 BAM 3.50

-22.49%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.8

$2.61 BAM 4.39

-14.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿653

$10.21 BAM 17.15

94.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$7.64 BAM 12.84

-54.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$11.01 BAM 18.49

3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.4

$1.18 BAM 1.98

145.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.8

$1.84 BAM 3.10

-6.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.8

$1.39 BAM 2.34

63.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.2

$1.20 BAM 2.01

77.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.53

$0.84 BAM 1.41

75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.73

$0.69 BAM 1.16

105.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.11

$0.75 BAM 1.26

46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.68

$0.70 BAM 1.17

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.07 BAM 6.84

5.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$4.21 BAM 7.06

341.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.3

$0.83 BAM 1.39

116.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.6

$0.91 BAM 1.53

226.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.9

$1.30 BAM 2.19

73.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿773

$61.8 BAM 104

-62.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.81 BAM 3.05

71.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.42

$0.56 BAM 0.95

92.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$5.99 BAM 10.06

-35.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.97

$1.53 BAM 2.57

-6.54%

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

$27.8K ฿914.4K

$31.8K BAM 53.4K

-12.54%

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

$27.0K ฿888.0K

$22.2K BAM 37.4K

21.32%

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

$105 ฿3,449

$123 BAM 207

-15.08%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$18.67 BAM 31.36

-38.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$26.84 BAM 45.08

-34.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,788

$33.68 BAM 56.6

61.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿377

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$5.77 BAM 9.69

34.84%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$152 BAM 255

278.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.2K

$4,044 BAM 6,793

186.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,094

$59.3 BAM 99.6

7.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿958

$33.69 BAM 56.6

-13.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,167

$98.6 BAM 166

-2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,962

$85.1 BAM 143

5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$352 BAM 592

108.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$257 BAM 431

94.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.0K

$535 BAM 899

296.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$383 BAM 643

227.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.3K

$2,539 BAM 4,264

39.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.3K

$1,784 BAM 2,996

46.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$596 BAM 1,002

-14.90%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lukavac: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $352 in Lukavac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lukavac pays 18% 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 $30.00 in Lukavac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $200 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 29% 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 18% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $352 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 $980 in Lukavac – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lukavac runs roughly 163% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $980 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 $980 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 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.