Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalst and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalst and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,226 in Aalst versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,176 in Aalst versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,127 in Aalst versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Aalst is roughly 81% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aalst is 66% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.83 €19.54

$4.63 ฿151

393.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €87.9

$46.84 ฿1,532

119.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.64 €10.82

$8.84 ฿289

42.99%

Cappuccino

$4.19 €3.59

$3.00 ฿98.0

39.67%

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

$3.49 €2.98

$0.74 ฿24.25

371.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.59

$0.37 ฿11.95

716.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 €4.78

$2.44 ฿79.8

128.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.88

$3.61 ฿118

25.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.16

$2.26 ฿73.9

-39.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 €2.47

$1.84 ฿60.1

57.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.27

$2.24 ฿73.4

18.75%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.43

$2.32 ฿75.7

72.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 €13.96

$19.67 ฿643

-17.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 €9.95

$3.65 ฿119

218.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.89 €16.17

$13.10 ฿428

44.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 €2.47

$3.39 ฿111

-14.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$1.64 ฿53.7

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.00

$2.41 ฿79.0

-3.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.82

$2.03 ฿66.4

62.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.32

$1.56 ฿50.9

73.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 €2.07

$1.50 ฿48.94

61.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.02 ฿33.50

43.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.71

$0.49 ฿16.00

69.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.53 €10.73

$4.45 ฿145

181.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.19 €7.87

$18.88 ฿617

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.78 ฿58.1

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.71

$2.75 ฿90.1

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.49

$1.40 ฿45.81

107.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.0 €48.81

$11.48 ฿376

396.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.02

$3.12 ฿102

88.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.02

$1.00 ฿32.67

136.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 €30.13

$14.09 ฿461

149.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.35 ฿44.19

41.48%

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

$35.0K €29.9K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

28.71%

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

$33.0K €28.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

0.26%

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

$203 €173

$125 ฿4,087

62.04%

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

$21.25 €18.19

$13.57 ฿444

56.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 €49.29

$18.52 ฿606

210.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.95 €32.49

$61.5 ฿2,010

-38.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.83 €14.41

$16.84 ฿551

-0.06%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 €12.98

$9.19 ฿300

64.96%

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

$625 €535

$698 ฿22.8K

-10.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K €11.4K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-14.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €91.8

$57.8 ฿1,889

85.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.73 €41.71

$35.24 ฿1,152

38.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €97.5

$113 ฿3,699

0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 €133

$86.4 ฿2,825

79.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 €846

$616 ฿20.1K

60.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 €767

$446 ฿14.6K

100.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 €1,175

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-32.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 €926

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-27.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,270 €2,799

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-13.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,066 €2,624

$2,649 ฿86.6K

15.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,764 €2,366

$524 ฿17.1K

427.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

5.33

-38.65%

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

Last update for Aalst: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $989 in Aalst and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aalst pays 428% 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: $103 in Aalst vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $292 per month, with Phuket 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

Aalst vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aalst and Phuket differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($2,226 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Aalst pays 428% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $989 in Aalst versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $103 in Aalst. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,226 per month in Aalst versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,226 in Aalst, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Aalst. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aalst and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Aalst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.