Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Noakhali

For one person, living is cheaper in Noakhali: $283 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Noakhali
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$283
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Noakhali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $283 in Noakhali.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Noakhali $283

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $464 in Noakhali.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Noakhali $464

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $645 in Noakhali.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Noakhali $645

Living in Phuket is roughly 327% more expensive than in Noakhali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Noakhali 79% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Noakhali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿154
$2.40 ৳296
90.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,089
$12.06 ৳1,484
169.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿287
$4.75 ৳584
80.00%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.16 ৳511
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.99 ৳491
-
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.3
$2.42 ৳298
12.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.35
$0.31 ৳38.08
203.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.45
$0.15 ৳18.83
226.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.9
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Noakhali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.3
$0.75 ৳92.4
132.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.98
$0.51 ৳62.3
180.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.2
$0.55 ৳67.7
178.18%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.9
$1.19 ৳146
82.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿642
$8.86 ৳1,090
116.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$1.44 ৳178
129.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿374
$6.63 ৳816
68.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.8
$1.98 ৳244
48.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.3
$0.84 ৳103
100.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿77.1
$2.43 ৳299
-5.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.5
$0.37 ৳44.97
475.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.3
$0.26 ৳32.26
488.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.70
$0.39 ৳48.53
248.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.57
$0.32 ৳39.14
250.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.30
$0.27 ৳33.03
103.70%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$12.34 ৳1,519
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.25 ৳647
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.65 ৳819
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿143
$3.33 ৳410
27.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿610
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.4
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.6
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Noakhali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.3
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿740
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.6
$1.19 ৳147
144.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.91
$0.42 ৳52.2
140.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$2.42 ৳298
58.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.0
$0.90 ৳111
65.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿894.6K
$29.6K ৳3.6M
-9.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿895.6K
$32.8K ৳4.0M
-18.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Noakhali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,332
$28.83 ৳3,549
244.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿378
$3.16 ৳389
256.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿582
$10.20 ৳1,256
70.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Noakhali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,753
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿364
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿254
$4.10 ৳504
84.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Noakhali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$92.1 ৳11.3K
506.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿385.2K
$2,630 ৳323.7K
336.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Noakhali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,109
$3.31 ৳407
1799.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿958
$4.04 ৳498
607.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,224
$51.3 ৳6,313
87.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,953
$36.44 ৳4,486
141.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Noakhali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.5K
$47.99 ৳5,908
1419.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$16.18 ৳1,992
2742.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.3K
$82.6 ৳10.2K
2436.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿41.0K
$32.33 ৳3,980
3680.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿116.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Noakhali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
$406 ৳49.9K
21.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.48
-46.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Noakhali: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Noakhali
$16 96.5% $444
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Noakhali
$106 60.5% $162
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Noakhali
$42 67% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Noakhali
$43 65.5% $81
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Noakhali
$64 46.9% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Noakhali
$8.2 * 87.9% $59
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Noakhali
$3.3 * 91.5% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $47.99 in Noakhali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Noakhali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $106 per month, with Noakhali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇩 Noakhali
🕒 Local time
11:22 11:22 AM
10:22 10:22 AM
1 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
130,842
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Noakhali 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Noakhali

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 Noakhali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Noakhali?
Noakhali wins on cost – living expenses run 327% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Noakhali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Noakhali?
Average pay runs 22% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Noakhali?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $47.99 in Noakhali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Noakhali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 153% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Noakhali?
All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $283 in Noakhali – a 327% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Phuket or in Noakhali?
At $283 in Noakhali versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Noakhali but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Noakhali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Noakhali?
Both work as nomad bases, but Noakhali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $283 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Noakhali hard to pass up.
How safe is Phuket compared to Noakhali?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Noakhali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Noakhali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 327% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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