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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $877 in Popovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,324 in Popovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,772 in Popovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than in Popovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Popovo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.00 BGN 14.97

-50.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$30.08 BGN 50.0

51.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.97 BGN 11.59

25.68%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.21 BGN 2.02

145.45%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.74 BGN 1.23

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.40 BGN 2.34

-72.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.98 BGN 4.95

-15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.17 BGN 5.27

18.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.11 BGN 1.85

93.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.03 BGN 1.71

76.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.58 BGN 2.62

37.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.83 BGN 3.04

22.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.01 BGN 10.01

232.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.36 BGN 13.90

-56.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$13.04 BGN 21.69

3.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.16 BGN 1.92

179.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.16 BGN 1.93

41.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.16 BGN 1.93

100.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.13 BGN 3.55

-2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.90 BGN 1.49

72.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.01 BGN 1.68

44.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.92 BGN 1.53

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.65 BGN 1.08

-26.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.72 BGN 6.19

16.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.21 BGN 10.33

199.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.91 BGN 1.51

104.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$0.61 BGN 1.02

334.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.89 BGN 1.48

59.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$26.05 BGN 43.34

-55.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.56 BGN 0.94

466.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.51 BGN 0.85

101.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.18 BGN 13.61

69.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.56 BGN 2.59

-14.10%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$29.8K BGN 49.5K

-6.65%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.2K BGN 36.9K

50.37%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$118 BGN 196

4.29%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$17.96 BGN 29.88

-23.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$15.20 BGN 25.28

20.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$30.02 BGN 49.94

102.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$14.60 BGN 24.29

17.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$7.15 BGN 11.89

24.06%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$624 BGN 1,038

10.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$5,422 BGN 9,019

191.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$53.1 BGN 88.3

11.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$36.45 BGN 60.6

-4.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$71.2 BGN 118

61.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$46.97 BGN 78.1

78.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$292 BGN 485

113.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$234 BGN 389

90.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$479 BGN 796

324.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$351 BGN 584

325.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,196 BGN 1,989

188.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$980 BGN 1,631

158.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,279 BGN 2,127

-61.40%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Popovo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $292 in Popovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Popovo pays 159% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Popovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $196 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 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 159% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $292 in Popovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $624 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 $877 in Popovo versus $1,264 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 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.