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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $876 in Popovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,339 in Popovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,801 in Popovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 41% 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

$4.63 ฿151

$8.99 BGN 15.02

-48.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$29.33 BGN 48.98

59.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.27 BGN 12.15

21.60%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.15 BGN 1.92

160.87%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.79 BGN 1.32

-6.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.41 BGN 2.35

-73.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.89 BGN 4.83

-15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.31 BGN 5.53

9.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.10 BGN 1.83

105.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.03 BGN 1.72

78.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.55 BGN 2.58

44.52%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.93 BGN 3.22

20.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.74 BGN 9.59

242.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.76 BGN 14.63

-58.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$12.94 BGN 21.60

1.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.16 BGN 1.94

192.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.19 BGN 1.99

37.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.16 BGN 1.94

107.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.21 BGN 3.70

-8.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.96 BGN 1.61

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.04 BGN 1.74

44.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.98 BGN 1.63

4.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.60 BGN 1.01

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.80 BGN 6.35

17.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.36 BGN 12.30

156.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.85 BGN 1.42

109.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$0.57 BGN 0.95

382.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.90 BGN 1.50

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$26.72 BGN 44.63

-57.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.61 BGN 1.02

411.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.54 BGN 0.91

85.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.24 BGN 13.77

71.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.58 BGN 2.64

-14.56%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$29.6K BGN 49.5K

-8.27%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.3K BGN 37.2K

47.63%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$116 BGN 194

7.44%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.83 BGN 29.78

-23.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$15.44 BGN 25.78

19.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$29.36 BGN 49.03

109.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$14.91 BGN 24.90

12.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.15 BGN 11.95

28.53%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$628 BGN 1,049

11.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,379 BGN 8,983

189.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$52.8 BGN 88.2

9.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$36.14 BGN 60.4

-2.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$70.2 BGN 117

61.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$46.90 BGN 78.3

84.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$290 BGN 484

112.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$235 BGN 393

89.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$478 BGN 797

328.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$358 BGN 598

316.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,583 BGN 2,644

138.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,081 BGN 1,805

145.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,326 BGN 2,215

-60.50%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Popovo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $290 in Popovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Popovo pays 153% 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 $29.00 in Popovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $200 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 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Popovo earns 153% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $290 in Popovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $628 in Popovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $876 in Popovo versus $1,232 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 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.