Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maglaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Maglaj: $904 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Maglaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Maglaj
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
$904
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Maglaj

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

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $904 in Maglaj, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Maglaj $904

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $1,369 in Maglaj, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Maglaj $1,369

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $1,835 in Maglaj, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Maglaj $1,835

Phuket costs about 34% more than Maglaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Maglaj are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Maglaj 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Maglaj
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿148
$6.88 BAM 11.98
-36.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,088
$36.91 BAM 64.3
-12.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿296
$6.84 BAM 11.91
28.07%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$1.64 BAM 2.86
72.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.42
$1.90 BAM 3.31
-52.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.71
$1.18 BAM 2.05
-60.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿86.0
$2.23 BAM 3.88
14.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿129
$2.24 BAM 3.90
70.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Maglaj
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿58.2
$1.40 BAM 2.44
23.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.56
$0.95 BAM 1.66
54.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.75 BAM 3.05
-13.71%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$2.77 BAM 4.82
-21.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿664
$7.64 BAM 13.31
157.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿113
$6.72 BAM 11.71
-50.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿376
$9.55 BAM 16.63
16.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿96.0
$1.12 BAM 1.95
154.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿57.5
$1.59 BAM 2.78
6.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.9
$1.68 BAM 2.92
30.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿69.0
$1.67 BAM 2.91
22.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿49.02
$1.11 BAM 1.94
30.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.59
$1.16 BAM 2.02
18.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿36.02
$0.97 BAM 1.69
10.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.07
$0.83 BAM 1.45
-38.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿144
$3.48 BAM 6.06
22.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿627
$6.95 BAM 12.11
167.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿60.2
$1.12 BAM 1.95
58.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿96.0
$1.13 BAM 1.97
152.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Maglaj
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿76.3
$1.26 BAM 2.19
79.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿745
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿102
$1.76 BAM 3.06
71.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.67
$1.16 BAM 2.02
-8.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿130
$10.34 BAM 18.02
-62.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$1.50 BAM 2.61
-3.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.1K
$29.9K BAM 52.1K
-12.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿908.8K
$21.4K BAM 37.4K
25.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Maglaj
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$90.5 BAM 158
6.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿372
$18.20 BAM 31.71
-39.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿578
$28.52 BAM 49.69
-39.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Maglaj
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,760
$32.80 BAM 57.2
59.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿376
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿263
$4.60 BAM 8.01
69.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Maglaj
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.8K
$138 BAM 240
303.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿390.6K
$3,929 BAM 6,847
194.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Maglaj
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,166
$57.7 BAM 100
11.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿968
$31.56 BAM 55.0
-9.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,217
$94.6 BAM 165
0.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,968
$129 BAM 224
-31.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Maglaj
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.9K
$348 BAM 607
111.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.6K
$251 BAM 437
84.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.7K
$521 BAM 907
302.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.5K
$366 BAM 638
228.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿117.6K
$2,397 BAM 4,177
45.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿85.1K
$1,755 BAM 3,058
43.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Maglaj
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.9K
$735 BAM 1,280
-31.85%
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 Maglaj: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Maglaj
$251 45.8% $212
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Maglaj
$198 26.2% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Maglaj
$137 10.1% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Maglaj
$141 13.1% $16
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Maglaj
$123 1.6% $1.9
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Maglaj
$42 38% $26
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Maglaj
$13 * 68.1% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $348 in Maglaj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Maglaj, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $37 in Maglaj. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Phuket vs $198 in Maglaj – so Maglaj wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇦 Maglaj
🕒 Local time
08:51 8:51 AM
02:51 2:51 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
7,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.79 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.574 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Maglaj 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Maglaj

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 Maglaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Maglaj compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,208 in Phuket, $904 in Maglaj – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Maglaj?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,356 in Maglaj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Maglaj?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Maglaj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $348 there versus $737 in Phuket.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $37 in Maglaj. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 36% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Maglaj, where all-in costs run around $904, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Maglaj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Maglaj?
Families tend to lean toward Maglaj – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Phuket or Maglaj safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?