Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Popovo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Popovo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $873 in Popovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,335 in Popovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,797 in Popovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than Popovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Popovo 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$8.61 BGN 14.33

-47.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$29.85 BGN 49.65

56.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$7.18 BGN 11.94

18.25%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.15 BGN 1.91

167.83%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.75 BGN 1.25

-9.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.48 BGN 2.46

-75.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.88 BGN 4.79

-15.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$3.20 BGN 5.33

13.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.09 BGN 1.82

100.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.97 BGN 1.62

86.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.57 BGN 2.61

42.04%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.92 BGN 3.19

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$6.04 BGN 10.05

224.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$8.50 BGN 14.14

-56.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$13.33 BGN 22.18

1.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.20 BGN 1.99

180.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.17 BGN 1.94

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.16 BGN 1.92

107.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.20 BGN 3.66

-9.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.92 BGN 1.53

66.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.00 BGN 1.67

45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.96 BGN 1.59

5.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.64 BGN 1.06

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.86 BGN 6.42

10.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$6.04 BGN 10.05

216.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$0.87 BGN 1.45

111.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$0.57 BGN 0.95

380.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.90 BGN 1.50

57.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$26.02 BGN 43.29

-54.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.61 BGN 1.02

391.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.54 BGN 0.90

94.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$7.95 BGN 13.22

74.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.52 BGN 2.54

-15.13%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$29.4K BGN 49.0K

-4.79%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$22.1K BGN 36.7K

51.80%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$119 BGN 198

2.69%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$17.93 BGN 29.82

-22.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$15.15 BGN 25.20

24.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$29.26 BGN 48.68

109.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$15.00 BGN 24.95

12.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$7.14 BGN 11.88

24.51%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$623 BGN 1,037

10.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$5,424 BGN 9,024

197.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$53.2 BGN 88.6

8.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$35.85 BGN 59.6

-1.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$71.2 BGN 118

59.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$46.99 BGN 78.2

76.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$287 BGN 478

111.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$230 BGN 383

94.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$472 BGN 786

329.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$353 BGN 587

322.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,451 BGN 2,414

147.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,239 BGN 2,062

108.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$1,313 BGN 2,185

-61.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.09

72.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Popovo: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $287 in Popovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Popovo pays 160% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Popovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $198 per month, with Popovo 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 Popovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Popovo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Popovo earns 160% less. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $287 in Popovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $623 in Popovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $873 in Popovo versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Popovo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Popovo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Popovo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Popovo 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 Popovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.