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 $930 in Popovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,435 in Popovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,941 in Popovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than in Popovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Popovo 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.65 BGN 14.40

-49.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$29.93 BGN 49.79

7.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.14 BGN 11.88

25.07%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.19 BGN 1.99

143.70%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.75 BGN 1.24

17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$1.60 BGN 2.67

-70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.59 BGN 4.31

-9.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.24 BGN 7.06

-12.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.57 BGN 2.62

19.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.11 BGN 1.85

32.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$2.30 BGN 3.83

-32.61%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.75 BGN 4.58

-23.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$7.09 BGN 11.80

176.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$8.37 BGN 13.92

-59.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$14.40 BGN 23.95

-20.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.52 BGN 2.52

96.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.45 BGN 2.41

15.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.50 BGN 2.50

47.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$2.25 BGN 3.74

-4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.04 BGN 1.72

46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.08 BGN 1.80

24.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.26 BGN 2.10

-10.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.76 BGN 1.27

-27.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.13 BGN 6.87

3.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$6.59 BGN 10.97

189.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.86 BGN 1.42

106.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.09 BGN 3.48

33.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.91 BGN 1.52

145.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$23.84 BGN 39.67

-4.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.62 BGN 1.03

388.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.62 BGN 1.03

64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.29 BGN 13.80

-53.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.61 BGN 2.68

-7.45%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$28.9K BGN 48.0K

-7.92%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$22.8K BGN 38.0K

18.38%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$116 BGN 194

-12.01%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$18.75 BGN 31.20

-39.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$15.81 BGN 26.30

10.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$20.63 BGN 34.32

152.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$18.07 BGN 30.06

-38.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$6.57 BGN 10.93

17.05%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$527 BGN 876

6.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$5,608 BGN 9,330

105.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$52.2 BGN 86.9

20.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$41.82 BGN 69.6

-29.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$71.3 BGN 119

37.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$47.77 BGN 79.5

85.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$364 BGN 605

103.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$245 BGN 407

97.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$500 BGN 831

321.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$382 BGN 636

220.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,541 BGN 2,564

134.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,055 BGN 1,755

146.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,324 BGN 2,203

-62.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.1

79.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Popovo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $364 in Popovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Popovo pays 168% 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 Popovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $228 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, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 168% lower in Popovo. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $364 in Popovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $527 in Popovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $930 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.