Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Neum Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Neum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $985 in Neum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,437 in Neum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,890 in Neum.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$5.28 BAM 8.89

-11.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$29.76 BAM 50.2

8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.91 BAM 9.95

46.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.96 BAM 3.31

47.96%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.83 BAM 3.08

-54.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.25 BAM 2.10

-60.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.62 BAM 4.41

-5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.19 BAM 3.69

70.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.21 BAM 2.03

56.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.93 BAM 1.56

51.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.07 BAM 3.49

-21.74%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.66 BAM 4.49

-15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$8.19 BAM 13.79

142.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$7.61 BAM 12.83

-54.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.89 BAM 18.35

4.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.13 BAM 1.90

156.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.68 BAM 2.82

2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.39 BAM 2.35

63.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.20 BAM 2.02

77.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.00 BAM 1.69

47.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.01 BAM 1.71

40.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.74 BAM 1.24

48.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.73 BAM 1.22

-17.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.99 BAM 6.73

8.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.12 BAM 6.93

351.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.75 BAM 1.27

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$0.97 BAM 1.63

206.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.29 BAM 2.18

74.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$59.1 BAM 99.6

-60.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.73 BAM 2.92

79.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.57 BAM 0.96

89.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$5.80 BAM 9.77

-33.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.62 BAM 2.72

-11.73%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$32.1K BAM 54.1K

-13.45%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$22.3K BAM 37.6K

21.01%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$140 BAM 237

-25.36%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$18.33 BAM 30.88

-37.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$26.79 BAM 45.15

-34.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$34.29 BAM 57.8

58.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$11.97 BAM 20.18

-4.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.73 BAM 9.65

35.78%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$205 BAM 345

181.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$2,362 BAM 3,980

390.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$60.6 BAM 102

5.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$33.53 BAM 56.5

-13.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$89.3 BAM 151

7.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$85.1 BAM 143

5.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$357 BAM 602

105.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$256 BAM 432

95.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$529 BAM 891

301.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$369 BAM 622

239.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,499 BAM 4,211

41.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,833 BAM 3,089

43.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$885 BAM 1,490

-42.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.9

92.07%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Neum: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $357 in Neum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Neum pays 74% 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 Neum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $193 per month, with Neum 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 Neum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Neum differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $985 including rent). Neum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Neum. 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 $357 in Neum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Neum runs roughly 152% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $205 in Neum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $985 in Neum versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Neum but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Neum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Neum 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 Neum 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.