Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Montana

For one person, living is cheaper in Montana: $833 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Montana
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Montana Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Montana

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Montana

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $833 in Montana, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Montana $833

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,339 in Montana, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Montana $1,339

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,846 in Montana, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Montana $1,846

Phuket costs about 45% more than Montana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Montana are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Montana 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$9.04 BGN 15.83

-49.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,089

$36.16 BGN 63.3

-10.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$9.85 BGN 17.24

-13.20%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.3

$1.39 BGN 2.43

95.68%

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

$0.94 ฿31.35

$1.38 BGN 2.42

-31.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.45

$1.11 BGN 1.94

-55.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

$1.28 BGN 2.24

102.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.01 BGN 1.77

279.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.69 BGN 2.96

2.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.98

$1.00 BGN 1.76

43.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$2.10 BGN 3.68

-27.14%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.9

$2.72 BGN 4.77

-20.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿642

$9.73 BGN 17.03

96.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.25 BGN 5.68

1.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$12.63 BGN 22.10

-11.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.8

$1.21 BGN 2.12

143.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.78 BGN 3.12

-5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.1

$1.76 BGN 3.07

30.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.5

$2.56 BGN 4.49

-16.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$0.70 BGN 1.23

118.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.70

$0.93 BGN 1.62

46.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.57

$0.90 BGN 1.58

24.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.30

$0.49 BGN 0.86

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$3.68 BGN 6.44

15.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿610

$6.31 BGN 11.04

188.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$0.89 BGN 1.55

95.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.6

$1.12 BGN 1.97

149.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.3

$0.89 BGN 1.56

149.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿740

$24.29 BGN 42.50

-9.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.6

$0.66 BGN 1.15

340.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.91

$0.47 BGN 0.83

114.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$10.36 BGN 18.12

-63.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.58 BGN 2.76

-5.70%

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

$26.7K ฿894.6K

$19.6K BGN 34.3K

36.12%

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

$26.7K ฿895.6K

$23.7K BGN 41.5K

12.77%

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

$99.4 ฿3,332

$99.8 BGN 175

-0.40%

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

$11.28 ฿378

$18.72 BGN 32.77

-39.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿582

$8.52 BGN 14.90

103.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,753

$29.86 BGN 52.3

75.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿364

$17.20 BGN 30.10

-36.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$5.31 BGN 9.29

42.56%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$522 BGN 914

6.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿385.2K

$5,479 BGN 9,589

109.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,109

$67.8 BGN 119

-7.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿958

$42.05 BGN 73.6

-32.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,224

$94.7 BGN 166

1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,953

$105 BGN 183

-15.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.5K

$214 BGN 374

241.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$160 BGN 280

187.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.3K

$404 BGN 707

418.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.0K

$304 BGN 532

302.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿116.0K

$1,329 BGN 2,326

160.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.5K

$1,078 BGN 1,886

130.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$992 BGN 1,737

-50.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.1

79.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Montana: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Montana

$160 19.2% 65.2% $300

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Montana

$199 23.9% 25.7% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Montana

$127 15.2% 0.8% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Montana

$139 16.7% 12.2% $15

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Montana

$137 16.4% 12.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Montana

$40 4.9% 40% $27

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Montana

$31 3.7% 20.6% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $214 in Montana. 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 101% higher in Montana, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $36.00 in Montana. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $199 in Montana – so Montana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇬 Montana

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

01:08 1:08 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

44,502

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Montana 8,210 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Montana

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 Montana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,250 in Montana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Montana. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $522 in Montana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Montana, where all-in costs run around $833, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Montana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montana – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Montana. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.