Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and New Providence

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,187 in New Providence, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
New Providence, Bahamas
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
New Providence
🇧🇸 Bahamas
$2,187
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in New Providence

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,187 in New Providence, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • New Providence $2,187

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $5,301 in New Providence, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • New Providence $5,301

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $8,414 in New Providence, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • New Providence $8,414

Phuket is about 42% cheaper than New Providence, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while New Providence is 61% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
New Providence
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$76.1 BSD 76.1
-94.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$151 BSD 151
-78.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$5.63 BSD 5.63
-49.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
-
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
New Providence
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$2.08 BSD 2.08
-20.19%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$5.13 BSD 5.13
-71.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$5.02 BSD 5.02
-70.12%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$9.84 BSD 9.84
-78.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$20.21 BSD 20.21
-5.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$9.96 BSD 9.96
-66.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$19.88 BSD 19.88
-45.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$4.31 BSD 4.31
-32.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$5.97 BSD 5.97
-71.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$6.80 BSD 6.80
-66.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$3.91 BSD 3.91
-46.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$4.12 BSD 4.12
-63.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$3.07 BSD 3.07
-55.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
$3.08 BSD 3.08
-65.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$3.07 BSD 3.07
-83.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$15.30 BSD 15.30
-72.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$25.49 BSD 25.49
-26.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$3.88 BSD 3.88
-53.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$4.04 BSD 4.04
-29.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
New Providence
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
$1.76 BSD 1.76
-16.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
New Providence
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$40.64 BSD 40.64
-72.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$99.7 BSD 99.7
-83.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
New Providence
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$74.4 BSD 74.4
-9.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$15.16 BSD 15.16
-50.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
New Providence
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$1,504 BSD 1,504
-68.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
$14.9K BSD 14.9K
-24.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
New Providence
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
New Providence
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$1,526 BSD 1,526
-53.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$714 BSD 714
-31.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$4,503 BSD 4,503
-68.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
New Providence
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
0
-

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for New Providence: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
New Providence
–
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
New Providence
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
New Providence
–
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
New Providence
–
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
New Providence
–
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
New Providence
–
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
New Providence
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,526 in New Providence. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $151 in New Providence. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $552 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇸 New Providence
🕒 Local time
07:45 7:45 AM
19:45 7:45 PM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
296,522
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BSD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket New Providence 16,310 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • New Providence

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 New Providence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or New Providence?
New Providence costs about 71% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in New Providence?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,281 in New Providence. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or New Providence?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,526 in New Providence.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to New Providence?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,187 in New Providence. That makes Phuket about 42% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and in New Providence?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $1,504 in New Providence. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in New Providence?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in New Providence at $2,187. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Providence it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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